True love is always messy
by LadygoldLoZ
Summary: Futaba Isshiki didn't know it at the time, but running into that guy in the manga-shop might be the best thing that ever happened to her. AU where no phantom-thieves exist and Shido isn't trying to take over the world. (Spoiler alert for Yusuke's and kinda Futaba's social link.)
1. Prologue

(Edit, for some reason my author note didn't make it in when I first uploaded, so I'm adding it in for anyone who reads this now)

A/N

-So, this is my very first proper fanfic and it's Yutaba because there is wayy to few fanfics with this pairing. I have written some in advance (like three chapters) but it's far from done so... (I also haven't made an update schedule but if enough people find this I might soo it's probably gonna be really erratic for a while) If you enjoy please leave a comment or something to let me know! Also if you have ANY criticism at all, you don't have to be a master writer or anything but just something that stuck out to you please let me know (I'm doing this to learn after all :DD)

So anyway, that's enough rambling .

I hope you decide to stick around! Let's get straight into it-

 **Prologue**

Futaba's POV

The sun shone brightly from the sky, illuminating the whole of Akihabara. A ginger-haired teen was happily skipping down the sidewalk, clutching a bag in one hand and an ice cream in the other. The girl was called Futaba Isshiki and she had her sights set on a small comic-and-manga-shop where she hoped to pick up the latest "Feathermen-R" manga and some dark chocolate to console her mother who, only begrudgingly, had allowed the sixteen-year old to go shopping by herself.

Futaba adjusted her headphones as she quickened her pace. When she reached the shop, she threw the remainder of her green popsicle in a nearby trashcan, whereupon she pushed the door open and all but ran inside.

She could barely keep in an excited shout when she looked around the shop. She spun in a circle, eyes wide open, and grinning excitedly. The shop was warmly lit with lights in all corners as well as the ceiling. The walls were covered in posters from various anime and manga and the shop windows were filled to the brim with everything from action figurines and t-shirts to the latest manga. She noticed that the volume she was looking for was there, but that was not what caught her attention.

Standing prominently on display next to a bookshelf and a shelf filled with different coffee mugs were 5 action figurines. Futaba recognized them immediately, they were the Feathermen-Rangers! Her eyes bulged out even further and her excitement caused her to practically start bouncing on the spot.

She approached the table where they were standing, with an almost gleeful smile on her face and slowly tiptoed around it, as if the slightest sound might cause something to break or the figurines to disappear.

Futaba had never seen anything like those figurines before. They must either be completely new or super rare. Either way, there was no way she could let this opportunity go to waste, manga and mom's wrath be damned.

Yusuke's POV

Yusuke Kitagawa was only dimly aware of his surroundings as he made his way down the sidewalk.

He had traveled to Akihabara for no other reason than to seek inspiration for his new art project, but it was proving difficult with so many people and things constantly distracting him. Currently, his mind was far above the clouds, contemplating whether true beauty truly could be captured in art, or if it was merely a superficial concept thought up by man to give him an ideal. What he truly wanted was someone to discuss these theories and ideas with, but for some reason most (if not all) people gave him weird looks and politely excused themselves if he brought the topic up during conversation.

Something caught the blue haired teen's attention and caused him to come back to reality. Immediately the sounds, colors and sensations of the world became louder and more distinct, and Yusuke missed the blissful calm that accompanied his musings.

Looking around to find what had caused the distraction, his eyes soon fell on a display in a window of a manga-and-comics store.

A girl with vibrant tangerine hair was admiring five action figurines. They were about the size of Yusukes hand and each sporting a different color scheme. Despite this, Yusuke couldn't help but feel like something was... off. In his artistic mind, the colors stood out like a discrepancy, a small detail that made the whole image look distorted.

He blinked, and decided that something like this was wholly unacceptable, he had to set it right. And thus, he made his way towards the store.


	2. Chapter 1

**-A/N**

Hello people! This is the first proper chapter of the fic, so it's a bit longer than the prologue. Also, I'm not sure about the perspective thing, but for now I find that it's much easier to write from Futabas POV, since she's so much like me. I dunno, I might do a few chapters from Yusukes or others POV later, but for now all of the chapters that I have written are Futaba POV.

I also want to mention that I know next to nothing about japanese culture outside of what Persona and Danganronpa has taught me, so there will probably be a lot of things that are wrong. If you spot something, be sure to let me know and I'll change it. My ignorance will probably become more apparent in later chapters though, so I guess I'm good for now :D

Anyway! Let's get to the story and as previously mentioned, feel free to post any feedback or criticism on the characters, writing or anything else. I am doing this to learn after all :DD

I hope you enjoy the chapter!-

 **Chapter one**

Futaba barely noticed the tall blue haired teen when he entered the store. She was glued to the figurines, already imagining what they would look like in her room, on the shelf beside her Featherman-R manga and science-fiction novels.

The girl hummed to herself as she moved aside to check the prices, and therefore didn't see the other boy move closer and start to fiddle with the figurines. After making sure she would be able to afford the figurines (they came at a price of 8000 yen which meant that she would have to use all of her allowance for three months, but it was totally worth it) she turned back, only to be greeted by the most horrific sight her sixteen-year old eyes had ever seen.

The Featherman-R figurines were completely mutilated. They were standing in a stiff, unnatural pose and it looked as if each doll had been taken apart, and subsequently assembled in a total chaotic mess. The signature colors were gone, and she barely recognized the pieces at all. Who could have committed such a terrible crime?

Futaba heard a chuckle behind her, and came face to face (actually more like face to torso, since the guy was like twice her height) with the blue haired teen from earlier. He had a contented and delighted look on his face, and she felt a sudden urge to punch him, though she used her immense powers of self control to hold it back. Instead, she fixed the guy with the most furious look she could manage, hoping it would convey the same message without the risk of being arrested for assault.

She stared at the guy for what felt like an hour, eyes blazing and lips twisted into a snarl, but to no avail. Not only did the guy blithely ignore her, he kept turning his head and squinting, as if he was trying to look straight through her.

He hummed thoughtfully and pushed Futaba aside as he approached the action figurines once again, twisting what had once been Feather Hawks arm slightly before backing up again.

Futaba was practically bursting with anger. How dare this stranger touch her precious figurines (granted - she hadn't actually bought them yet, but anyway!) and how _dare_ he simply ignore her like this? Futaba inhaled deeply and readied herself to drown this insolent jerk with her _super special attack!_

"Hey! What are you-"

The guy held up a hand to stop her before she even got to finish her sentence. He hummed thoughtfully and stepped forward to adjust the head of Feather Argus slightly. He backed up again and scrutinized his creation, this time his lips quirked upward into a satisfied smile and he made no move to continue with the unholy mutilation. She tried to deepen her glare even further and balled her hands into fists that she raised in front of her. The blue-haired teens eyes widened in surprise as if he only now had noticed her, and Futaba pursed her lips. She wasn't _that_ small!

"Ah, excuse me. I didn't see you there" The guy tugged at the collar of his white shirt and smiled sheepishly. "What seems to be the problem? I hope I haven't done anything to upset you."

"What have you done? They're completely ruined!" Futaba rushed forward, putting her body in between the weird guy and the figurines with her arms spread out to shield them.

"I assure you that I meant no harm. I was simply trying to give them a better aesthetic"

Futaba narrowed her eyes and kept glaring until she saw the guy getting uncomfortable. He shrugged and backed out of the shop, hands held in front of him in a peace gesture.

She kept glaring until the door closed behind him, and afterwards she turned back to the figurines, hoping she might be able to save them from the terrible fate the blue-haired guy had sentenced them to. Fortunately, nothing had been broken during the impromptu disfigurement and Futaba was able to pick apart and put all of the figurines back together relatively easily. The owner of the shop even gave her a discount, so she was able to buy that chocolate for her mom after all.

In the end, everything turned out alright, but that didn't stop Futaba from glaring at the road and taking some of her anger out on one of the many rocks that littered the path to her house. (She threw it at a trash bin and accidentally hit a sleeping stray cat, who was less than pleased and left Futaba with two angry red scratches near her right ankle.) This only served to make her even angrier though and she decided that she would give the blue-haired jerk a proper lecture if they ever met again.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N**

Hello everyone!

I'm back with a new chapter (let's see how long I kan keep this streak of one per day up xD)

I really like this chapter, both because I'm really happy with the writing and partly because it's the introduction of the (second) best waifu in the game in my opinion.

I also wanted to give a shoutout to my Mum (don't think she'll read this but anyway) for reading through all chapters and giving me some much needed feedback so yeah! Hi Mum! Love you!

As usual, feel free to leave feedback, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter 2**

The next day, Futaba woke up way before her alarm. Her mother had, of course, already left for work but there was a note taped to the fridge wishing her a good day and reminding her that there was leftover curry in the fridge.

At the bottom, her mom had written "Good luck with school sweetie, and don't forget that I love you!" Futaba's stomach churned uncomfortably. She had almost forgotten about school.

Last year she had to skip half a term because of her father, and afterwards she and her mother had decided that since she didn't really have any friends at her old school, she might as well transfer to a new one. It had sounded like a great idea at the time but the anxiety was really starting to show now when school start was mere hours away.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to smile confidently as she began eating curry straight from the box. She couldn't stomach more than a few bites and when she went to shut the fridge, she noticed that her hand was shaking.

Nevertheless she pulled on her uniform and hastily threw a notepad and some pens into her bag along with the lunch that her mom had made before leaving. The entire subway trip she tried to convince herself that it would be alright. She would fit in, and hopefully make some friends too. Whatever happened, Kosei High couldn't be much worse than her previous school.

The school really didn't look particularly different from her last. Kosei High consisted of a large white building with multiple floors as well as what Futaba assumed was a gymnasium and a small garden with a few benches in the back. The hallways were long and narrow, and the classrooms looked pretty much identical from what Futaba observed through the windows. The place still made her feel like her skin was crawling.

She imagined everyone's gazes on her, wondering who she was, what she was doing, judging her appearance, clothes, picking apart every piece of her and assembling it like a puzzle, but twisting the picture so that only her negative aspects were shown. Her mind swirled with questions. Where is my classroom? Am I supposed to talk to someone before class? Am I late? What if they changed the time and everyone found out except for me and I will be walking in late and everyone thinks I'm really irresponsible? And what do I do for lunch? Is there a place to eat? What if I accidentally spill something or sit at the wrong table. Are there seating arrangements? What if I didn't get a seat? Who do I ask? What do I do?

She took a deep breath to calm herself and then started to look around for somebody to ask for directions. She approached a nice looking girl with brown hair who was leaning against a locker with a thoughtful expression on her face. Futaba cleared her throat and the girl looked up.

"Excuse me? I'm new and I don't know where my classroom is. Could you show me the way to 2B?"

Wow, she hoped that hadn't sounded as pathetic as she thought.

If the girl noticed her discomfort she didn't let on. Instead she smiled brightly and offered to walk Futaba all the way to her classroom. She introduced herself as "Hifumi Togo" and told Futaba that they were in the same year. To Futaba's immense relief, Hifumi didn't seem to think she was strange or pathetic at all. She practically demanded that Futaba come to her if she needed anything, declaring that it was a "queens duty to protect and serve lost souls." (Futaba wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, but Hifumi seemed nice enough, so she didn't bring it up.)

"You could also talk to my friend" Hifumi said as they walked up the stairs "I think he's in your class. His name is Yusuke Kitagawa, and he's a good guy – even if he might come of as a little strange." She chuckled and Futaba found herself liking her more by the minute.

When they reached Futaba's classroom Hifumi grabbed her shoulder and looked at her with a big smile on her face. "Here we are, don't worry you'll be fine! I promise to go find you after class and we can have lunch together." Futaba answered with a timid smile of her own, and Hifumi headed toward her own classroom. Futaba took a deep breath before she opened the door. _Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine!_ She told herself and wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt. _Mission Start!_ She thought, and then she opened the door.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N**

Hello everyone! I'm back once again with a new chapter.

I now have a finalized timeline for this story, and I expect it to be around 15 chapters long (depending on how much fluff I can fit in there xD) I'm also considering making a chapter fron Yusuke or Hifumi's POV, so if you'd like one or the other, please let me know. Also, I wanted to say that I'll be going back to school in about two days, so depending on how much work I'll have to do, I'll have to change my updating schedule to 1-3 times per week (Again, I have no idea how busy I'll be so we'll see)

I also wanted to thank everyone who had rewieved, followed, favourited or read this. I never imagined that people would actually read what I wrote and knowing that people enjoy reading my story is an incredible feeling!

But that's enough of rambling for today, as usual, if you have feedback or think a character is becoming to OOC, please let me know.

Enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter 3**

Upon entering the classroom, Futaba noticed three things.

First, it was really noisy and she was not, in fact, running late. Students were sitting on their benches, talking and laughing and there was a big crowd by the blackboard where people were writing their names and drawing random stuff.

Secondly, whoever was in charge of the lesson had not yet arrived, even though class was going to start any minute. Futaba also didn't know where she was supposed to sit or if she had been assigned to a seat without knowing. She moved from the doorway and stood with her back against the wall, clutching her bag in one hand whilst awkwardly glancing around the room.

Thirdly, nobody seemed to notice her arrival or, if they had they didn't comment on it. There was no awkward pause where everyone dropped what they were doing and gawked at her, no silence as she walked across the room with everyone's gazes on her. It almost felt as if she was one of them.

Before she finished the thought, the door slammed open next to her. A woman with jet black hair and impossibly tall heels stalked in and hurriedly placed her stuff on the lectern. She opened her bag and pulled out a couple of papers whilst simultaneously managing to remove her jacket. When she was done, she quickly glanced at the big clock on the wall. Then she cleared her throat. Everyone in the room hurried to their seats and one student pulled his hand across the blackboard a few times in a

half-hearted attempt to remove the scribbles. He quickly gave up and hurried to his seat.

The teacher cleared her throat again and began talking to the class. Futaba felt increasingly uncomfortable and wondered if it would be rude to interrupt. What would she even say,

 _Excuse me? I'm new and I don't know where to sit. Could you please introduce me to the class so that we can all get on with our lives and I can complete my mission? Oh yeah, that's just how I talk because I'm lame and use video game terms in my head, don't worry! You're not the first person to find that incredibly strange and slightly revolting. I'm used to it!_

She cringed inwardly. Yeah, better to stand next to the wall and be awkward than to publicly humiliate herself in front of her new class.

As the teacher kept prattling about how nice it was to be back after winter break and how important it was to have fun and not study all the time, more and more students noticed the strange girl standing by the door to their classroom. Futaba felt the gazes of almost everyone in the room on her. She could practically hear them whispering to each other about how weird she was, or what she could be doing there and looked at the ground. She could feel her cheeks start to heat up and a lump formed in her throat.

Suddenly the teacher looked up from her papers and noticed Futaba standing next to the door. Her expression changed from confusion to realization to embarrassment in the span of seconds. If Futaba wasn't so busy being awkward, she would have found it impressive.

"I knew I had forgotten something." The teacher grumbled, and cleared her throat again. That seemed to be somewhat of a nervous reaction for her, Futaba noticed, smirking inwardly. At least she wasn't the only one who was embarrassed.

"Alright guys, this is your new classmate!" The teacher looked over at Futaba with a big plastered smile on her face. "Why don't you introduce yourself to the class, um-" she glanced at her papers, "-Isshiki-chan!, come up here Isshiki-chan."

Futaba walked slowly toward the lectern and gave a shy smile once she stood in front of the class. She looked across all of the students, most of them meeting her gaze whilst some were already staring out the window or passing notes. Futaba even saw one guy who was drawing something in a notebook. She wondered which student Hifumi had called her friend. Maybe she would ask her when they met for lunch later. The thought made her smile, she had never had someone to eat lunch with. It felt good, even though she was pretty sure Hifumi was just pitying her. Nevertheless, the thought gave her the confidence she needed to stand a little straighter and be proud that her voice only wavered twice when she introduced herself to the class.

The teacher, who introduced herself as miss Koizumi, gave Futaba a few books, a schedule and a map of the school to help with orientation. Futaba thought it best not to mention that she would have the layout memorized after one look, and received the papers with a smile. Then she looked out over the classroom with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Let's see now, I know we saved you a seat somewhere.."

Her face lit up as she spotted what Futaba assumed must be an empty bench.

"There! You can sit next to Kitagawa-kun." Miss Koizumi pointed across the room at the guy who Futaba had seen drawing in his notebook earlier. He lifted his head when he heard his name being called and Futaba's heart almost stopped right there. It was the guy from the manga shop! She was suddenly overwhelmed with a myriad of different emotions. Shock, annoyance and anger all fought for control inside her confused brain, but for some reason Futaba also felt a tiny sliver of relief. At least she recognized one person in the giant heap of students that were her new class. She pushed that feeling down though, reminding herself that she was _angry_ at this guy – and with good reason.

Kitagawa had already begun moving his books as to give Futaba a spot to sit. She grabbed a chair from a nearby bench and slammed her bag down next to it a little harder than necessary. She stubbornly refused to look at her new bench-mate, instead focusing intently on miss Koizumi.

"Kitagawa-kun, why don't you show Isshiki-chan around the school later?"

Kitagawa nodded an affirmative but otherwise didn't react. Futaba forced a smile and hoped the tour would be over quickly. At least she still had lunch with Hifumi to look forward to, and after school, she could go home and read the latest volume of Fetherman-R. The thought made her remember that day in the manga-shop and she turned to glare at Kitagawa, only to see that he was busy drawing again.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Futaba leaned slightly closer to her bench-mate and tried to see what he was drawing. Her breath almost caught in her throat, but she quickly looked away before she was found out. She had only seen the picture for a split second, but she knew one thing for sure. This guy was _good_. The picture had been depicting a white fox basking in the sunlight and even though it had just been a sketch, something in the lines had made it look alive, like it could stretch and walk out of the book at any moment. This just made Futaba even angrier. Not only was the guy a figurine-murderer but he was apparently a prodigy too.

Looking back up, Futaba shook the irritation away and tried to focus on miss Koizumi. It was hard to listen to the teacher though, and Futaba's mind kept wandering . It also didn't help that the subject was one that she herself had read about online during the months she had been absent, and therefore already knew by heart.

The other lessons were much the same. Futaba would walk in, introduce herself to the teacher and then barely pay attention when the class began. She found it oddly peaceful, and she knew that she would have an easier time learning stuff at home anyway so she didn't really mind. She even managed to come to terms with her unwelcome bench-mate after a while. He was usually quiet and gave her plenty of space, so much so that Futaba was starting to suspect that she might actually have scared him with all of her yelling in the shop. She actually felt a tiny bit bad, and debated whether to apologize but she was still to angry at him for almost ruining her action figurines. She figured that if he apologized to her, she would too but she was _not_ gonna make the first move.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N**

Hello everyone!

This will probably mark the end of my one-chapter-per-day streak so... :(

I'll be going back to school tomorrow, so I'll be a lot busier so don't expect a chapter then unless I get some extra time. On a different note, you can expect a chapter from Yusukes POV soon, since I've kinda realized that while Futaba has gotten plenty of screentime, he really hasn't and I want to change that so either two or three chapters from now, one will be in Yusukes POV so look forward to that!

Also, as usual feel free to post feedback or critizism in reviews. I really appreciate it, so if anything is wrong or a character is OOC, letting me know is a good way to both fix the story, and help me grow as a writer!

But I've rambled for too long, so

Enjoy the chapter!

 **Chapter 4**

By the time lunch rolled around, Futaba was dizzy. Her head swirled with the names and personalities of all of the students and teachers she had been introduced to. There was one girl who'd come up to her and immediately started to gossip about some guy from another school, straight out of the blue. Futaba didn't have any idea who the girl had been talking about, but figured that it would be rude to cut her off so she'd endured the girls babbling until the teacher had arrived and the next lesson began. Then there had been one guy who'd straight up asked her what bra-size she used. That jerk had received swift punishment from Futaba's special _spinning push_ _attack_ , inspired by episode 22 of Phoenix rangers Featherman R.

Kitagawa had stayed mostly quiet through everything, and Futaba noticed that even though plenty of people crowded their bench to talk to her, nobody gave him a second glance. She figured that they would start ignoring her soon enough too. Right now she was just the latest gossip, and sooner or later, people would grow bored. It was nothing new, she was used to it but it kind of stung. At least Hifumi seemed genuinely nice. Futaba looked forward to eating with her.

Lunch break had just started and most students were packing up their stuff or unpacking their lunches. Futaba had somehow gotten stuck in a conversation between two brown haired girls about the new food that was being served at the diner in Shibuya. Apparently their "Nostalgic Steak" was to die for. The two girls were talking so fast that Futaba could barely keep up. She sighed, and wished she could just stand up and scream _I don't care about your stupid steak! I don't go outside, and even if I did, Sojiro makes way better food than any restaurant could ever dream of, so_ stop _talking about it!_

As nice as it was to be popular, Futaba was not used to this many people trying to get to know her all at once. Calling it overwhelming would be the understatement of the century and she was seriously considering jumping out a window to get some peace – that or punching someone randomly. That would probably get people to leave her alone.

Luckily, Hifumi burst into the classroom and saved her before anyone got hurt. She stalked up to Futaba and grabbed her hand, causing the two girls to immediately shut up and stare at Hifumi with a mixture of disgust and confusion on their faces. Hifumi payed them no mind, and instead dragged Futaba toward her bench, where Kitagawa for some reason still scribbled in his notebook.

Hifumi cleared her throat, but it got no reaction from Kitagawa. She sighed and slammed her hand down right on top of his notebook. He jumped, and seemed to wake up from some sort of trance. Hifumi just stood next to his desk, Futaba's hand still clasped firmly in hers, and waited until he looked sentient again.

Futaba pursed her lips. She didn't know what Hifumi was up to, but even though her distaste for her bench-mate had mellowed into begrudging acceptance, she still didn't want to spend any more time than necessary in his company.

Either Hifumi didn't notice the tension hanging between the two of them, or she just didn't care because she pulled Futaba forward until she was standing right in front of him and said in a cheerful voice,

"Yusuke, this is Futaba. Futaba, this is Yusuke. He's the friend that I told you about earlier"

Futaba was absolutely certain that some God was messing with her. First she was supposed to sit next to this guy, then he was going to show her around, and now Hifumi apparently knew him too. This seriously wasn't funny at all. Still, Hifumi seemed nice, and Futaba didn't want to lose the only person other than Kitagawa she knew in the school. She would just have to put up with him. Kitagawa seemed to have come to a similar conclusion, because he stood, and began packing his notebook and pencils into a blue backpack.

"Actually, me and Isshiki-san share a bench" he said, and motioned toward the other end of the desk, where Futaba had placed her green backpack on her chair. "I'm supposed to show her around the school."

"Really? How fortunate. Then why don't I join you? I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!" Futaba immediately felt better when she heard Hifumi's words. At least she wouldn't be alone with her weird bench-mate. She took her backpack as well, and together the three of them walked out of the classroom.

Hifumi, Kitagawa and Futaba went down to the schoolyard in search of a place to eat. After wandering for a while they found a suitable table and a few chairs (all of which Futaba completely disregarded in favor of sitting on top of the table). Futaba and Hifumi both unpacked their lunches while Kitagawa excused himself to find a vending machine. While they waited, Hifumi began to ask Futaba what she thought of their school so far.

"So how was miss Koizumi? Did she come late again?" Hifumi giggled and Futaba recounted the disastrous first period she had to endure. (Omitting the part where she almost had a breakdown in front of the class, of course.)

"That sounds exactly like her. I was in her class last year, and she was always at least five minutes late. I don't think she was ever on time! She's kind of infamous around here." Futaba smiled, swinging her legs back and forth. Their conversation faded into silence, and Futaba enjoyed the feeling of the mild spring air on her skin.

"Do you know Shogi?" Hifumi suddenly asked, and Futaba noted a sudden shift in Hifumi's body language, and a hint of shyness that had seeped into her voice. The name sounded familiar, and Futaba suddenly remembered a computerized version of a board game, that she had played for a while in middle school. She remembered writing a program that could play with her, because none of her classmates wanted to play with the "nerd." She thought she remembered the rules but it had been a while since she quit.

"Kinda," she answered, shrugging "I played it on my computer a while ago, but I hardly remember anything."

Hifumi looked scandalized.

"You played Shogi... on a _computer?_ How could you?!" Hifumi glared angrily at Futaba, who recoiled slightly. She started to form an answer, but before she got the chance, Hifumi cut her off.

"Playing Shogi digitally is completely different than playing on a board! You could not possibly compare the two. When you play _properly_ you develop a special bond to your pieces, and without this it is impossible to win. How dare you claim the title of queen, you who do not even know your subordinates?! It is a disgrace to the game!"

Hifumi's cheeks were flushed from excitement and Futaba was watching her curiously. The other girl had stood up and was posing dramatically, arms crossed and eyes fiery. Suddenly, Futaba began to giggle. She looked at Hifumi and her giggling turned into full blown laughter. She gripped her stomach, and tried to cover her mouth with one hand to stop it, but she couldn't control herself.

Hifumi looked confused at first, but soon she too began to giggle. They looked each other in the eyes and laughed uncontrollably. Futaba couldn't remember the last time she'd had such fun.

"What- what's so funny?" Hifumi tried to speak through her laughter.

Futaba was about to fall of the table, but she steadied herself with one hand, and tried to answer coherently. It took some serious concentration, but she managed.

"It's just, I never expected you to be so-" Futaba had to stop as a new wave of giggles overcame her. "So _geeky._ You're almost as crazy about Shogi as I am about Fetherman R."

Hifumi looked embarrassed, but she was smiling. Futaba realized that this may very well be the first time she'd laughed together with someone her own age. The concept was so foreign that she wondered if she'd somehow stumbled into an alternate reality or somebody had just stepped on a butterfly, causing a major distortion in space time.

"What on earth are the two of you doing?"

And just like that, Futaba's good mood was ruined.

Kitagawa approached them with a bemused expression on his face. He brushed off one of the chairs, and sat down opposite Hifumi, with Futaba still sitting atop the table. Kitagawa gave her a questioning look, and she answered by sticking out her tongue.

"Chairs are for the weak." She declared and kicked her legs defiantly. Hifumi laughed and Kitagawa's lips quirked into a smile. Futaba wondered when the chemistry between them had become this... lighthearted. She wasn't sure if she cared.

The three spent the rest of lunch break in a similar manner, and after they had eaten, Hifumi and Kitagawa showed Futaba around the school. She got to see the chemistry lab, library and art room, (where they had to stop and let Kitagawa explain the inner meaning behind almost every painting before proceeding.) The school was big, and Futaba was visibly confused when they were finished, so Hifumi ordered Kitagawa to accompany Futaba to all of her classes until she became familiar with the layout of the school. Futaba wanted to argue that she could manage by her own, but after Kitagawa pointed out that they would most likely walk together anyways since they were part of the same class, both girls left it alone. They walked together until they arrived at Futaba and Kitagawa's classroom but before the two of them could enter, Hifumi stopped them.

"Hey, if you're not busy, would you like to accompany me to Jimbocho after school? I need to buy some books about strategy to practice my Shogi for an upcoming tournament."

Futaba was stunned. Nobody had ever wanted to go shopping with her before, and she'd never gone to a place she didn't recognize without her mom before. Still, Hifumi was nice, and she was actually starting to warm up to Kitagawa too, though only slightly. Very slightly.

She smiled and nodded, and Kitagawa did the same. Hifumi looked overjoyed, but after realizing that class was starting in less than a minute, she quickly said goodbye and hurried toward her own classroom. Futaba and Kitagawa both looked after her until she disappeared from view, before turning and entering their classroom.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The afternoon classes had been going really well. Futaba had sat through science, geography and Japanese without any mishaps at all, and she was starting to think that lessons might actually not be that bad. She could easily keep up with the teachers, and the lessons were usually interesting. Sure, her Japanese teacher's voice sounded like a crossing between a really dull lullaby and the computer voice from Google translate, and her geography teacher talked more about philosophy than actual geography. (According to the girl who sat to Futaba's left, this was because he'd originally wanted to teach philosophy but been rejected in favor of some other guy who, according to the geography teacher, wasn't doing a good enough job teaching philosophy.) Even so, Futaba hadn't run in to any major problems yet. At least, until the final class of the day, math.

Futaba hadn't had a problem with math in her previous school. Sure, she hadn't exactly been enthusiastic about it but she'd been able to understand it well enough. Math was, after all, an essential part of programming, and if there was one thing Futaba knew, it was programming.

It started nice enough, but about halfway into the lesson, Futaba encountered a problem that she had no idea how to solve. (Not to mention that about half of the words were ones that Futaba had never seen before, so she didn't even know exactly what the question was.)

She glanced up, scanning the room in search of the teacher, but he must have left the room at some point so she sank back into her chair with a sullen expression on her face. It wasn't _her_ fault that they hadn't covered this in her previous school. She looked over the problem again, whispering the words out loud as if this would magically yield an answer. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened.

Futaba glared at her book, and looked for the teacher again. There was still no sign of him and she wondered what the heck the guy was doing, leaving his entire class unsupervised for so long. Suddenly, she felt something nudge her right shoulder. She turned her head, and noticed Kitagawa looking at her. He motioned toward her open book and whispered,

"Would you like some help?"

Futaba almost declined the offer. She didn't need some _guy_ babysitting her, she could manage on her own. But at the same time, she knew Kitagawa hadn't been trying to insult or belittle her. Despite them only knowing each other for a grand total of 4 hours and only exchanging a few sentences during that time, (not including her yelling at him in the manga shop) she felt like she'd come to understand him somewhat. And besides, the teacher didn't seem to be returning anytime soon and Futaba did need help. She wouldn't be able to figure this out on her own, she knew that. So she begrudgingly nodded, and tried to hide her embarrassment.

Surprisingly, Kitagawa either didn't realize, or was kind enough to not poke fun at her at all. He patiently explained the problem in a way that she (mostly) understood, and wasn't bothered at all when he had to repeat a part or when she asked obvious questions.

All things considered, he was being really nice. Futaba realized that she liked this side of him. The quiet, compassionate side. Immediately as she thought this, she realized what it had sounded like and was furious at herself for even thinking it. She turned her head for a moment, so that he wouldn't realize that her cheeks were red, and tried to reason with herself. She did not _like_ Kitagawa.

She merely appreciated him helping her, and she was acknowledging that he might not be so bad after all. Yeah, that was all it was. Totally normal.

She returned her attention to the math problem. After Kitagawa's explaining it, she realized that it wasn't that hard at all. She solved the equation and quickly got the correct answer, earning an approving nod from her bench-mate. She mouthed a "thank you" and gave a thumbs up, to which he responded with another nod and smile. Now that she'd gotten the hang of it, the rest of the lesson progressed smoothly, and Futaba realized that she'd completed well over three pages worth of problems when the bell rang. She felt a surge of pride, and smiled at herself. _Futaba – 1 Math – 0_ she thought, smirking.

When Futaba exited the classroom, Hifumi was already waiting outside. She enthusiastically greeted Futaba and Kitagawa, and immediately started to explain the route they would have to take to reach Jimbocho, and though Futaba was uncertain about traveling somewhere unfamiliar without her mother, she also felt exited at the prospect of going somewhere with her newfound friends. As they walked toward the station, Futaba marveled at how seamlessly she'd been integrated into Hifumi and Kitagawa's group. She felt extremely happy that she'd asked Hifumi about directions that morning, otherwise things might have ended up like at her last school, and that was a prospect she didn't want to think about.

The ride to Jimbocho went unusually smooth for Futaba, who usually got anxiety from only thinking about boarding a small vehicle packed to the brim with random people who she would have to stand uncomfortably close to. This time however, she could distract herself by listening as Hifumi rattled of the titles of all the books she was planning to buy, and by the time they got off, Futaba felt almost none of the anxiety which normally plagued her whilst riding the subway.

Immediately after stepping of the train, Hifumi was practically dragging Futaba and Kitagawa forward. She let out excited gasps and shouts when she spotted advertisements, whilst simultaneously walking at an almost inhumane pace straight toward the center of Jimbocho. Futaba had to jog to keep up, and thus was only dimly aware of her surroundings. She could see Kitagawa in a similar situation to her right, but he seemed used to Hifumi's vigor (and plus, with his giant legs, he barely broke a sweat. Cheater.)

Because of this, it took a while before Futaba noticed that her blue-haired acquaintance (friend?) wasn't walking next to her anymore. Suddenly feeling a pang of anxiety once again, Futaba spun around and tried to spot him in the crowd. Logically, she knew that Kitagawa was most likely fine. He probably knew exactly where Hifumi was going, and was perfectly capable of getting there without Futaba's supervision. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Why wasn't he following them, and why hadn't he said anything if he'd planned to go off on his own? Futaba stood on her tiptoes, but the crowd was still far to dense and everyone was to tall. She couldn't see Kitagawa anywhere. Of course, she wasn't worried exactly, she was merely looking for him so she'd be able to yell at him for leaving her and Hifumi all alone. That was all.

Futaba tapped her friends shoulder and told her to go ahead. Hifumi looked kind of confused, but it was clear she'd rather head straight toward her store as fast as possible, so Futaba reassured her that everything was fine. Hifumi looked dubious, but pointed Futaba in the direction of the store so she'd know where to go afterwards and then hurried onward. Futaba suddenly felt very small and the immense crowd around her felt suffocating. Still, she braved her fears and ventured back the way she came to try to find Kitagawa. She eventually reached an empty alley, where she could see nothing but a few dumpsters and a stray cat, who'd curled up on top of the largest dumpster and seemed to be asleep. Futaba scanned through the crowd again, and this time her eyes landed on a figure with blue hair, who was seemingly staring into space, standing in an alley much like the one Futaba was currently in, but on the opposite side of the road.

Resigning to her fate, Futaba took a deep breath, before once again braving the great and terrible wall of Jimbocho tourists. Being as small as she was actually proved advantageous, as she could easily slip by most people, and she was able to get to the other side of the road fairly easily. Still, she was thoroughly out of breath when she finally reached the other alley, and was (understandably) both annoyed and slightly angry with Kitagawa for disappearing on her and for making her look for him.

Her angry expression melted away as soon as she could see his face properly however, and Futaba covered her mouth with one hand in shock. She approached the blue-haired boy timidly, and whispered

"What happened?"

 **A/N**

Hello everyone!

I've decided to move the notes down so that I can comment on the chapters without spoiling them, so that's why there's no note at the top anymore.

Still, I'm really exited because we're _finally_ getting into some plot, and not just worldbuilding and random other things :D The next chapter will hopefully be up soon, though I'm fairly sure it won't be tomorrow. I'm holding off on making a proper schedule until I know how much time I'll have to dedicate to school.

The next chapter will be Yusuke POV though, so I hope you're exited for that, (I know that I am!)

I want to extend a special thanks to everyone who has rewiewed, liked or followed or just read this story. Seeing that people like what I do really motivates me to write and I always get really happy whenever I see a new rewiew or like. So THANK YOU SO MUCH! 3

Anyway! Thank you so much for reading, and as usual, feel free to leave feedback or overall comments!

See you soon!


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N**

Hello everyone! I just wanted to mention that we're tackling Yusuke's backstory in this chapter, so there will be some mentions of abuse and an implied suicide attempt. It's nothing graphic, and if you've played Persona 5 (which I really hope you have) you already know the gist but if you are sensitive or think you might be triggered by this, you might want to skip this chapter. I'd be more than willing to post an edited version without those parts or summarize the contents for you if you still want to know what happens, just send me a message.  
Just wanted to make that clear, there will be more notes at the bottom.

 **Chapter 6**

Yusuke was only dimly aware of the sounds of Jimbocho around him. It felt kind of similar to when he was painting and spaced out, all of his attention focused on the motions of his brush and the colors on his pallet. But this was very different from painting.

Instead of a serene calm enveloping his being, Yusuke only felt a deep rooted fear so powerful that it caused his blood to freeze. His gaze was blurring with tears, his entire body trembling and his breath came in short puffs. Still, the scenes played in front of his eyes, like a morbid movie that someone had set to repeat, over and over again.

He was four years old, running down the street and throwing himself into _his_ arms, relishing in the warmth and security of _his_ embrace, and giggling when _he_ lifted him high in the air-

He was six, and had won his first big competition. He remembered all the people that had crowded him. There were people with cameras, ladies with way to much lipstick, holding up microphones. They shouted at him, and he was scared. He didn't know these people, why were everyone shouting at him?

Suddenly he heard _his_ voice. _He_ sounded angry, and Yusuke became even more frightened. Why was _he_ mad? Wasn't this a good thing? Then all of the people suddenly stopped shouting. They stepped aside and Yusuke saw _him_ looking at him with pride shining in his eyes. _He_ put a hand on Yusuke's shoulder and started leading him away from the building. Yusuke was so happy he thought he might explode-

He was sixteen, and had been called to _his_ office. He was sitting in his chair, but he stood when Yusuke entered the room.

"Yusuke, my son-"

Yusuke felt happiness spread in his chest, _he_ hadn't called him that since he'd been a child

"Due to the recent theft, I have gradually been losing the will to paint..."

Yusuke listened and felt anger well up inside him. How _dare_ someone steal away _his_ most prized possession and cause him this much anguish! And how dare the selfish buyers demand new art pieces, when _he_ clearly was struggling?!

Yusuke answer came without a moments hesitation.

Of course Yusuke would do anything to be of use. He would gladly use his talents to be of use to _him,_ as was his duty as a protege. And besides, it wasn't like he could refuse. He had nowhere to go, after all-

That horrible day, everything was a blur. He remembered opening the door to find a policeman on the other side. They had busted in, despite his protests and taken Yusuke away to the station. He'd screamed and cried, insisting over and over again that _he_ was innocent, _he_ had done nothing wrong. It wasn't until the trial that he learned the horrible truth, and even then, it had felt unreal. There was no way his sensei- his _father_ had done such horrible things. No way he'd _let her die-_

He was standing on the rooftop, looking down with a neutral expression on his face. The world had seemed utterly meaningless ever since that day, devoid of color and life. Yusuke was lost without _his_ guidance, he might as well end it once and for all.

Someone was calling out. A brown haired girl was standing next to him. She reached out her hand, and suddenly the colors returned-

"-..at happened?"

Something was disturbing him, the sound buzzing in his ears like an annoying wasp.

"Are you alright? Answer me Kitagawa!"

It was more urgent, pulling Yusuke closer and closer to the light. But the visions wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop the pain from flooding him, dragging him down, down down.

"Yusuke! LISTEN!"

He fell backwards, vaguely aware of the concrete beneath him as he tumbled to the ground, hoisting himself up by the elbows. Only one person yelled at him like that. Only one person used his first name like that. His mind was racing again, glimpses of memories surfacing so fast, he had no chance of keeping up. He squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a ball, but he couldn't keep them out. Couldn't keep _him_ out.

" _I want you to think about what you've done!"_

 _"How dare you disgrace me like this!"_

" _What have you done, they're completely ruined!"_

 _Yusuke! Yusuke!_ Yusuke!

"Open your eyes Yusuke!"

Slowly, he obliged, but instead of his sensei's dark eyes, he met a pair of wide brown ones. He looked right at Futaba Isshiki.

She was sitting in front of him, with a smile on her face. He realized she was talking, but his mind was racing and his ears were ringing and he couldn't hear what she was saying. He felt panic well up again, but Isshiki took one of his hands in her own and placed it on her chest. She was breathing deeply, in and out, and Yusuke could feel her chest rise and fall in slow, steady motions. He tried to match his breathing to hers, and found that the fog lifted from his vision and his hearing slowly returned. That's when he realized what she'd been saying.

"Breathe, in and out. Yeah, just like that, c'me on, we'll do it together. Breathe. _Breathe_ "

He stopped shaking. His chest stopped hurting as bad. The panic receded and he felt the blood return to his face and hands. Every second felt like an eternity, but Isshiki's steady breathing and calming voice was slowly bringing him back to reality. He slowly sat back up, leaning against a viridian dumpster. Isshiki looked him over carefully, and then moved to sit beside him. Now that he'd come back to reality, he realized what an incredibly awkward situation he was in. Next to him was a girl that he'd only known for a day, and not only that, she also hated him. Now, this girl had seen him in one of his weakest moments. He felt his cheeks burn, and looked down at the ground.

"Y'know, you don't have to talk about it, but it might help."

Yusuke didn't move and gave no reaction, but her words had stirred an equal amount of relief and anger within him. Maybe Isshiki had been right, maybe talking about it would help lessen the pain, but she had no idea what he'd been through. Who was this girl, this _stranger_ , to tell him what would help?

"I'm guessing this is what triggered it?"

Yusuke didn't have to look up to know what she meant. It was a poster advertising "The great Ichiryusai Madarame's latest art exhibit" He'd thought all of them were taken down after the arrest, but apparently some had been missed.

"I think I went to one of these one time, but I never really understood the appeal. I guess I don't get why people pay money to see some scribbles on paper. I spent most of the time by the snack table, there was a nice lady there who gave me apple juice. The highlight of the exhibit was that goddamned juice, if you ask me."

This got Yusuke's attention. His head whipped up and he faced Isshiki with a furious look on his face.

"How could you possibly say something so uncultured! Art is a way for an artist to express themselves! To show their emotions, their values, their very _soul._ They slave day and night to make the perfect piece and you have the audacity to belittle their efforts by comparing their masterful work to the likes of- of-"

Yusuke trailed off when he saw the smirk on Isshiki's face and the twinkle in her eyes. The dim lighting and her bright hair, coupled with her sitting cross legged and looking at him mischievously made her look like a forest sprite. He imagined her out making trouble for unwary wood-cutters who were attacking the wrong trees.

He chuckled

"Ah, were you perhaps trying to distract me?"

Isshiki laughed deviously and her smirk grew wider.

"Did it work?"

Yusuke laughed at the absurdity of it all. He'd thought he had gotten past this, but it would seem that the trauma still plagued him to this day. Still, he hadn't been alone and he hadn't let it consume him. Plus, he had a hunch that this failure might lead to future victories. It was as Hifumi always said. "Sometimes sacrificing one small piece is necessary, in order for another greater one to complete their mission."

He looked over at the girl next to him, and suddenly felt immensely grateful for her aid. She had helped him come to his senses and without her he would probably have fainted. He turned to her, ready to express his gratitude, but the words wouldn't come out. He was suddenly acutely aware of how pathetic he seemed, and how pitiful Isshiki must find him. Would she even appreciate a show of gratitude, were he to offer it?

Still he had to try, so he prepared himself for the worst, and turned to face her. Cheeks burning, he stuttered,

"Isshiki-chan, I'd like you to know -that is- I hope that you- y-you understand that- that I am very g-grateful for- for everything, that is of course– helping me with- with this."

Futaba looked partly amused, partly pitying, and partly touched by his bumbling attempt at thanks, but she smiled even brighter and broke in before Yusuke could embarrass himself any further.

"Actually, this might be kinda strange, but could you like, call me Futaba? I feel totally weird when people call me Isshiki, it feels like they're talking to my mom or something"

Yusuke was slightly taken aback, but nodded.

"Very well Ish- Futaba. Please feel free to call me Yusuke as well."

Futaba picked up a rock from the ground and threw it at the opposing wall.

"Hmm.. yeah, I'll consider it." She winked mischievously. Yusuke smiled as well. He felt much better now.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, then Futaba stood up and brushed off her skirt.

"We should probably go before Hifumi starts to worry."

Yusuke nodded in agreement, but he wasn't quite ready to leave yet.

"Futaba, might I ask you something personal?"

Futaba looked at him curiously.

"Depends, whaddaya want to know? Just so you know though, I'm not telling you my bra size. _That_ is one secret I'll take to my grave."

Yusuke chuckled.

"No thank you, I witnessed the fate of the previous person to ask that question, and I would not wish that upon my worst enemy."

Returning to the topic, he cleared his throat.

"Futaba, how did you know what to do when I had that panic attack? That's not exactly knowledge I'd think a high school student would possess."

Futaba looked shocked for a moment, then somber. She looked down, and said in a low voice.

"I have them too. Not as much now, but they surprise me sometimes. I just copied what my mom does."

Yusuke was confused, but not surprised. He'd figured that the answer would be something like that. He had trouble imagining what Futaba could possibly be struggling with. She'd seemed like such a happy and carefree girl. Even so, he wouldn't press any further. He didn't want to share his reasons, so he wouldn't force Futaba to share hers either. He simply nodded, and stood.

"Very well, we should get going then."

Futaba nodded and reached out her hand pointedly. Yusuke looked at it curiously.

"You want to... hold my hand?"

Futaba rolled her eyes.

"Duuh. I already lost you once in this crowd, I'm not about to do that again!"

Yusuke still stared at her outstretched hand, unable to determine if she was actually serious. He'd never held a girl's hand before, not that he'd held a guy's either. He wondered if there was a difference.

"C'me on Inari, take my hand already!"

He looked up in confusion.

"Inari?"

She shrugged

"You like foxes, right? Isn't there a God or something ,somewhere who's called that?"

"Actually, that's _Oinari,_ but that's not the point! I thought we agreed to use first names?"

Futaba batted her eyelashes playfully.

"Actuallyyy... I said I'd consider it. Plus, your name is hard to pronounce."

She pouted, but Yusuke could see the mirth twinkling in her eyes.

"Yusuke is hardly difficult to pronounce, and you were screaming it less than ten minutes ago!"

"Firstly, Uh, yeah it is. Secondly, that was an emergency. And thirdly, weren't we gonna go now?"

Yusuke realized that this was a battle he would never win, and conceded, following Futaba to the bookshop where Hifumi was waiting. During the trip, he found that Futaba's hand was very small compared to his own, and very soft. He felt a happy sort of tugging in his chest when he looked at their intertwined hands, but quickly dismissed the feeling as some remnants of the emotional storm he'd endured.

Even so, when Futaba finally let go of his hand to enter the bookshop, he felt oddly disheartened. He wondered what that feeling could mean, but before he could consider it further, Hifumi was showing him the books she'd bought and Futaba was insisting they get ice cream before going home.

Sorting through his emotions would have to wait.

 **A/N**

Hello Everyone!

I haven't had a chance to write these last few days unfortunately. It's mostly due to school and me getting to know my new classmates (who are all awesome btw) but I think updates will slow to about once a week now that school is really kicking off. I'll be updating every weekend hopefully (well, in my timezone anyway, I'm in Sweden so I don't know when it will be for you) and I might add an extra chapter now and then if I get extra time, but otherwise I'll be sticking with this.  
On another note, this is the first proper chapter from Yusukes POV and I hope it fleshed out his character a little bit. I'm actually really proud of this one and it's quite a bit longer than usual, so I hope everyone enjoyed it!  
That's all for now though, thank you all for reading, please feel free to leave feedback or comments.  
See you soon!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As time progressed, Futaba was slowly completely integrated into Hifumi and Yusuke's group. They'd sit outside and eat while Futaba and Hifumi played shogi and Yusuke sketched whatever came to mind in one of his many sketchbooks. Hifumi claimed it helped her learn new moves even though Futaba was clearly outmatched. Yusuke, she also met up with after school when they studied together in the data lab.

This was actually kind of awesome. Futaba could never have dreamed that she'd make friends this quick immediately after switching schools. And it wasn't like she was part of some excluded "nerd group" that nobody else acknowledged either. She had gotten to know everyone in her class, and she could at least remember their name and make some pleasant enough small talk if the need arose. (She wholeheartedly hoped it wouldn't though. Small talk was her least developed skill tree)

She did enjoy spending time with her two friends though, particularly her study sessions with Yusuke in the evenings and, as it turns out, Yusuke was actually very good at math. He'd helped Futaba understand questions or formulas on more than one occasion. Technology was a different story though. Futaba had once joked that he had the tech-knowledge of an 80 year old man, meaning, absolutely none at all. For crying out loud, she'd had to show him how _emails_ worked. He'd been particularly curious about emoji s ever since Futaba introduced him to the concept, and would question her at length about the various components and how they communicated images and feelings.

It was during one of these sessions that Hifumi burst in to the room. She slammed the door behind her hard enough to even jostle Yusuke, who had been in the middle of the "artistic process" behind creating a new emoji.

Futaba spun her chair so she was facing Hifumi, who was walking toward their table. She sat down across from Yusuke and put two pieces of paper on the table.

Futaba immediately snatched one up and held it against the light. She squinted, but couldn't make out what was written. Hifumi chuckled at her.

"This is some kind of black magic, isn't it?" Futaba frowned. "Is it a spell? Perhaps life-steal or brainwash? It's illegible!"

Hifumi hid a smile behind her hand and leaned over the table.

"Actually, it's an invitation. It's written in an old dialect, that's probably why you can't read it." She reached out and plucked the piece of paper from Futaba's hand. "Also, you were holding it upside down."

She smoothed it out and put the paper on the table. Futaba hovered excitedly over it whilst simultaneously elbowing Yusuke, who'd still not looked up from his sketchbook. He glanced irritably at her, then promptly went pack to drawing. Futaba was not one to back down from a challenge however, and in an attempt to rouse the artist, walked over to his chair and waved a hand in front of his eyes. She snapped her fingers, but to no avail. She even tried to forcibly remove Yusuke's sketchbook, but the artist proved to be much stronger than his slim frame would let on. She looked at Hifumi for guidance, and the brown-haired girl stood up, walked over, and slammed her hand down next to Yusuke's book with a blow that Futaba was pretty certain was capable of killing a man. Yusuke blinked once, then pushed his book away and looked up at Hifumi with a serene smile on his face. Hifumi glanced at the opened page and looked thoroughly confused.

"What are you- wait. Is that an _emoji?_ "

Fifteen minutes and a lecture from Yusuke about the various intricacies in making an emoji, Futaba was lying on the table, kicking her legs in the air.

"C'me on Inari, school is over for today." Futaba whined. She thought it best to stop him before Yusuke got _really_ invested, at which point he'd most likely talk for another hour at least. That, was not something Futaba was prepared to deal with, especially not after listening to her biology teacher drone on about "being one with nature, and sensing it with all available emotions" for half an hour earlier that day.

Luckily she seemed to get through to Yusuke, who slowly came back to reality and shut his sketchbook. Hifumi shot her a thankful look and Futaba returned it by flashing a peace sign.

"I apologize for boring you, Futaba." Yusuke flushed and cleared his throat. "Now then, Hifumi. You had something to tell us, yes?"

He looked over at the girl, who'd busied herself with braiding Futaba's hair into two long braids on either side of her head. She finished the second one and Futaba immediately sat up and shook her head, making the two braids swish around in the air and nearly hitting Yusuke in the face.

"Feels weird." Futaba stated and began to pull the braids curiously.

"Yes," Hifumi started, suddenly seeming to remember the reason she's come down to meet them. She picked up the two pieces of paper and handed one to Yusuke and one to Futaba.

"These are invitations to a shogi tournament I will be participating in." She suddenly blushed and looked down at her lap. "I was hoping you might want to attend."

Futaba slowly processed this new information. Hifumi wanted her to go with her to a tournament. She wanted _Futaba_ to be there and cheer her on.

A huge smile spread across her face. Futaba had never been invited anywhere at all prior to enrolling at Kosei High, never mind actually being invited to a tournament. That was a big deal.

"This is the yearly tournament hosted by the JSA, is it not?" Yusuke looked at Hifumi with a smile on his face. "Very well. I will definitely clear my schedule." Hifumi looked grateful, and Futaba was quick to voice her agreement as well. She'd never been to a shogi tournament before, and she didn't know anything about the game outside of the extremely limited knowledge she had from playing on her computer and what Hifumi had taught her, but she figured that trying something new might be a nice change. Besides, Hifumi was clearly looking forward to going, and if Hifumi wanted Futaba to be there, she would definitely be there.

A/N

Hello everyone! It's been a while, huh?

I'm really sorry for missing last weeks sceduled update. I've been sick and school is kicking my butt as usual so I just couldn't find the time to write. I feel like this chapter is kind of fillery and I'm sorry about that, but this was a necessary part :D

The next chapter will be Yusuke POV again and it will focus more on the bond between him and Hifumi so I hope you're as exited for that as I am!

I also want to thank every person who has liked, followed or reviewed. I'm not joking when I say I check my page almost every day and every time someone has left a message or a like i smile like a moron! YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY AMAZING!

Anyway, that's all for now. Thank you so much for reading and as usual, feel free to leave your opinion or feedback by reviewing!

See you!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The day of Hifumi's tournament didn't start well for Yusuke. The air had been uncomfortably humid and very hot, this resulting in him being close to delirium from the warmth (combined with the fact that he'd stayed up almost the entire night worrying for Hifumi.)

Though he hadn't told Futaba, this tournament was a big deal for his friend. She'd dreamed of being able to play in the annual JSA tournament ever since she was small but since children hadn't been allowed before, she hadn't had the chance. Yusuke knew Hifumi's dream was to one day become the first female to ever earn the title of _kishi_ , the shogi equivalent of a true master. She'd been dead set on it ever since she first heard that no woman had ever been awarded the title, and this had since become her main goal. He also knew that this tournament was her first step toward this dream and he understood how crushing it would be for her if something went wrong.

Straightening his shirt collar, Yusuke turned around at the sound of his name being shouted. He looked over to see Futaba sprinting down the sidewalk, tangerine hair flowing behind her and arms flailing wildly. She screeched to a halt right in front of him and straightened her big glasses with one hand whilst simultaneously spitting out a stray hair that had gotten in her mouth.

They had decided to walk together to the tournament since Futaba didn't know the way and Hifumi had to be there earlier to prepare. Yusuke couldn't deny he was pleased. Over the last couple of weeks, Futaba had really grown on him and he found himself missing her witty banter and adorable childishness whenever they were apart. Right now, the redhead was being uncharacteristically quiet however. There was no skipping down the sidewalk or carefree badgering, and Yusuke found himself wondering if something was wrong. Before he could inquire however, Futaba broke the silence.

"Will there be a lot of people there?"

She was keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, but Yusuke could read the tension in her body regardless. He knew that Futaba had trouble with large crowds, but he hadn't realized that might be a problem. He tried his best to reassure his friend.

"Well, it isn't anything grand, but I imagine it might feel a bit cramped after a while."

He realized his mistake when Futaba hunched over slightly, her expression becoming solemn.

"If it bothers you, you can stay close to me. I promise I won't lose sight of you."

Yusuke felt kind of foolish saying something so condescending. "I promise I won't lose sight of you" felt like something a knight in shining armor might say to reassure his beloved. Immediately after thinking this, his cheeks heated up and Yusuke had to fight to keep his breathing level as he tried to regain composure. Luckily, Futaba hadn't noticed and his words had coaxed a small smile from her. She giggled, and regained some of the spring in her step.

"Yeah, you're so tall I probably couldn't lose you even if I wanted to. You're like a walking red light!"

Yusuke chuckled along with her, pleased to have his friend back. The happy mood persisted until they reached the building where the tournament was to be held. Futaba shrank back and seemed to inch closer to him with every step (not that Yusuke minded) and as they opened the front door, she was practically standing on his feet. The competition was being held in a middle-school, though there were no students or teachers since it was a Sunday. The hot air, combined with all of the audience **,** made for a humid and stuffy environment that Yusuke felt the moment he stepped inside and he heard Futaba's breath hitch at the sight of the crowd. To assure her, Yusuke took her hand in his, hoping desperately that his palms weren't as sweaty as he thought.

"Who'd you think I am **?** Inari, some fairy princess?"

Futaba muttered vexedly but Yusuke could hear some relief in her voice. He remembered Hifumi had told them to meet her by the vending machines so he started to pull Futaba along, breathing a sigh of relief as they left the crowded entrance and escaped to the much calmer corridors.

Yusuke spotted Hifumi standing next to the vending machines talking to a girl with short brown hair and a white long shirt. She waved as she spotted Yusuke and started to walk toward them. Futaba looked happy to see her, but was still shying away from the other girl and stubbornly holding on to Yusuke's hand. She peered at the girl from beneath her bangs with a guarded expression and muttered,

"Unidentified entity spotted, requesting immediate aid."

Yusuke felt a wave of affection for the strange, awkward girl behind him. He knew how jarring it could be to meet new people, and he could feel Futaba's tense grip on his hand . Her discomfort made him feel a strange irritation, and he subconsciously stepped in front of the red-head and gripped her hand tighter. They came face to face with the two girls and Hifumi stepped forward to introduce them.

"Yusuke, Futaba, this is my friend Makoto Nijima." She pointed to the girl beside her who gave a polite bow and smiled. Hifumi turned to Nijima and completed the introductions. Yusuke smiled and tried to offer a handshake, before realizing that Futaba still held his right hand and apparently she was not about to let go for even a second. He gave a sheepish smile, making Nijima chuckle.

Hifumi explained that Nijima was, like herself, participating in the female shogi competition. Apparently they had met at a previous competition and had been good friends ever since. Yusuke was kind of surprised that Hifumi hadn't introduced them earlier, though he supposed he hadn't really known Hifumi that long. This was the first proper competition he attended with his friend, after all.

Nijima turned out to be a friendly girl, though she could seem a little stuffy at times. Yusuke could sense her strong will and unwavering determination, a trait that she shared with Hifumi, and it was clear why Hifumi had befriended her. Yusuke found himself thankful that Hifumi had such a wonderful friend who shared her passion for Shogi.

Even Futaba seemed to relax slightly, though she still refused to leave Yusuke's side for anything and held his hand hostage for the duration of the conversation. The mischievous glint was back in her eyes, and she eyed the two brunettes with a knowing look. Yusuke didn't know whether to feel grateful that she'd seemed to warm up to Nijima, or concerned. The last time she'd had that look on her face had been the time she'd drawn a picture of the Featherman Rangers on the teachers blackboard and signed it with the headmasters signature, something that had since become something of a running joke throughout the school. Now, every time there was a drawing signed by somebody famous Futaba proudly declared it her "legacy being carried on by her loyal followers."

Eventually, the group had to split up since the competition was about to start. They decided to meet up at the same place afterwards and the brunettes wandered off to meet the other competitors. Futaba pulled Yusuke aside with a gleeful smile plastered on her face. She stood on her toes to try to whisper in his ear but, finding the height difference too great, opted to simply pull him down to a crouch instead. She leaned close.

"Hey Inari! Weren't they just adorable?"

Yusuke blinked in confusion.

"Hifumi and Nijima-san? Whatever makes you say that?"

Futaba snickered. "Oh Inari, you truly are too innocent." She smirked, mirth shining in her eyes. "Those two are _so_ crushing on each other."

Yusuke stared at her in confusion before what she'd said slowly sank in. He looked in the direction the two girls had gone with bewilderment shining in his eyes.

"How on earth did you-" Futaba cut him off, waving her hand in dismissal.

"C'me on, a blind man could see that! But more importantly, how do we get them together?"

Futaba was practically bouncing with excitement and her gaze was so intense, Yusuke had to avert his eyes. Futaba didn't seem to notice however, as she was in the middle of planning her impromptu "matchmaking-scheme."

She was pacing back and forth, muttering ideas to herself before shaking her head and banging her fist on the vending machine glass. Once in a while she would look over at him, as if assuring herself he hadn't disappeared. This would probably have made Yusuke smile, had he been fully conscious, but he was still struggling to fit the concept of "crushing" on to his mental image of Hifumi.

He'd never really considered her as having romantic feelings, though that seemed stupid now that he considered it. They had never really talked about romance, and he'd had no idea that Hifumi liked girls. Now that he thought about it, it did make sense though. He'd never seen Hifumi as much as look at a guy, and although there had been some rumors when they first became friends, she'd never implied liking him either. He did wonder how on earth Futaba had figured it out so quickly though. He was supposed to be the one who really knew Hifumi, having known her for almost a year longer than Futaba, but somehow she'd seen right through the other girl without so much as breaking a sweat.

He looked over at Futaba who had quit her pacing and resorted to sitting on the floor next to the vending machine with her back crouched and arms hanging in front of her like a monkey, apparently deep in thought. Yusuke could hear her mumbling and an occasional grunt of displeasure. He couldn't resist smiling at the sight. Futaba really was quite adorable, like a ray of sunshine filtering in through the curtains of a window. She had burst into Yusuke's life with a bang, and even though he had resented her at the time, he was glad they had ran into each other that day in the comic-store.

"Hey Inari, stop that! You're looking at me funny!"

Futaba snapped her fingers in front of Yusuke's eyes, causing him to snap back to reality. As soon as he saw Futaba standing in front of him (when had she gotten up?) with crossed arms and a displeased look on her face he realized what had happened and immediately turned beet-red.

"Ah- I was just-"

"Never mind, that's not important. More so, I've found it! I have the perfect plan to get Hifumi and Nijima-chan together!"

Yusuke felt relief bubbling in his chest. Right, that's what they had been talking about. Hifumi and Nijima-san. Still, he couldn't keep the swelling affection that he felt whenever he gazed upon the smiling, tangerine-haired girl from showing.

Yusuke cleared his throat.

"Right. So **,** if I may ask, what exactly is this brilliant plan of yours?"

Futaba grinned impishly, snickering.

"Listen well, young padawan. I will show you the secrets!"

She held her arms out in a dramatic gesture and Yusuke had to fight the urge to smile adoringly. Really, what was going on with him today?

"We'll take them to a secluded area. Somewhere romantic, but not to obvious. We can use the competition as an excuse, say it's a celebration or something."

Yusuke nodded slowly, trying to force his traitorous mind to get back to the subject.

"And when everything's perfectly set up, we'll figure out some excuse and leave them to it! It's guaranteed to work!"

Futaba looked incredibly pleased with herself and Yusuke had to admit, it did sound like a good plan, considering it had been made up completely on the spot. There was just one problem.

"If I may, where exactly should we execute this elaborate scheme?"

Futaba smirked devilishly.

"Leave that to me! I know the perfect place."

Yusuke was more than a little concerned to leave _anything_ in the care of this reckless whirlwind of a girl but he had to admit, her plan was good and if it hadn't been for her, Yusuke definitely wouldn't have known about Hifum and Nijima until they themselves broke the news (If that would even happen. Yusuke still wasn't sure how this whole _crushing_ thing worked.)

They would have discussed the plan more thoroughly, but a voice interrupted them.

"Hey what are you two doing? The competition is about to start!"

Yusuke twirled around to meet the gaze of a dark haired man. Futaba immediately resumed her death-grip on his hand and shied away from the stranger. The man pointed them toward a door and when they entered, they saw shogi boards lying on the floor in rows. They navigated toward Hifumi kneeling by a board and found a seat where they could observe her performance. Yusuke spotted Nijima-san a few rows down as well. They took their seats and right afterwards the door slammed shut.

Yusuke could see Hifumi meeting the gaze of her opponent, a small looking Asian girl with short, black hair and even though he was sitting a couple meters away, he could clearly see determination shining in his friend's eyes. He smiled, knowing she would do anything and everything in her power to win.

A man's voice rang out, and the competition began.

 _A/N_

 _Hello everyone!_

 _It's been a while, hasn't it?. I'm really sorry about delaying so much, school and real life have kind of been eating up most of my time. Sadly, I can't spend all my time writing and reading fanfiction :D_

 _This chapter is kinda on the long side, so I hope that makes it a little better. Fun fact: this, the previous chapter and the next one were originally supposed to be one, but you can se how that turned out! I hoped to flesh out Yusuke's and Hifumi's friendship a little more in this and I also wanted to give Hifumi some limelight._

 _I also want to say that again, I know NOTHING about Shogi and the Wikipedia-page is less than helpful. I have no idea what tournaments are like, or how you play or anything so if you notice that I get something wrong, please feel free to tell me and I will correct it._

 _Anyway, that's enough of my rambling. As usual, a BIG thank you to anyone who has rewieved, liked or read. Seriously, your support makes my day. If you think I can improve anything or a character is too OOC, feel free to let me know._

 _See you soon!_


	10. Chapter 9 pt 1

Chapter 9

Three hours into the competition, and Yusuke's anxiety was back. He sat stiffly in his seat, staring at Hifumi as she moved a piece on her board. Her face was beaded with sweat and her expression betrayed only intense concentration. This was the second game Hifumi participated in, having won the first one with relative ease. That initial victory had _almost_ been enough to relieve Yusuke of some stress, but as Hifumi's opponent claimed more and more of her pieces, he started to worry again.

They were currently tied with 10 pieces each, but Yusuke knew that didn't mean much. In shogi, the real battle takes place in the minds of the players. Pieces on the board didn't mean anything if one of the contestants were able to accurately predict the other's moves.

A crash to his right let Yusuke know that Futaba had returned from her "quest to gather provisions" as she had put it. She bent down to pick up the package of gummy bears that she'd dropped, unloading three bags of chips and two sodas in Yusuke's lap as she did.

They watched together as the game drew to a close. Futaba's constant chattering next to him was proving to be somewhat of a comfort, and Yusuke found himself feeling much more at ease. She was also excellent at explaining some of the more obscure moves players made since she knew all of the strategies, though her commentary was far from unbiased. ("Dude, that move would have been 10 times cooler if you'd put the king there _before_ moving the knight.")

Hifumi ended up winning after another 20 minutes of intense playing. When she stood up and bowed to her opponent, Yusuke could see the happiness on her face, radiating of her in waves. He knew very well how hard Hifumi had worked to make this happen, and he felt immensely proud of his friend. Futaba was bouncing up and down in her seat, and Yusuke had to discreetly restrain her to keep her from disturbing the other players (whilst simultaneously forcing down the adoring smile that threatened to form at the sight. Really, what was wrong with him today?)

Having no reason to keep watching the competition, the pair quietly left the playing hall. Once outside of the stuffy room, they saw Hifumi waiting by the vending machine, deep in conversation with Nijima Makoto.

Futaba's smile grew devilish when she saw the two girls.

"It is time to put our plan into action!"

"Aw man, we're like secret agents or something, we should have a calling card! Yeah that would be so _awesome!_ "

Yusuke cocked an eyebrow, but before he could answer Futaba was pulling him by the hand towards the two girls.

Hifumi broke into a huge grin when she saw the pair. She ran up to them, talking excitedly about the matches and the tournament while Yusuke nodded along, trying desperately to keep up with the girl's pace. Despite that he tried to keep up, offering smiles and nods at the (he hoped) appropriate times. He truly was pleased, seeing Hifumi this happy. Seeing the girl truly carefree was a rare occurrence, but when it happened Yusuke was immediately infected with her energy. Hifumi had done so much for him, but he hadn't gotten the chance to return the favor.

"Congratulations on your victory, Hifumi. I know how much this means to you."

Hifumi's eyes sparkled and her smile grew even wider.

"Well yes, I am happy the competition went well. But I am even more happy that you are here."

Yusuke was confused. He'd thought Shogi was the most important thing to his friend. Surely his presence wouldn't impact that in any way. He didn't even know that much about Shogi, and he was struggling to understand why Hifumi valued _his_ presence so highly.

"Surely you don't mean-"

Hifumi cut him off mid sentence. She poked him in the chest disgruntledly.

"Of course I'm happy. You're my best friend Yusuke, your support really matters."

"But-"

"Oh listen here dummy!"

She fixed him with a stare that made the hairs on Yusuke's neck stand up.

"You. Are. Important. To. Me."

She stepped back, hands on her hips, and Yusuke smiled sheepishly.

"Very well. I concede."

Hifumi snorted.

"You'd better. This is one battle I won't forfeit."

Yusuke thought back to his childhood. He's always felt a special warmth whenever sensei had been with him on exhibits or appraising his work. He figured this might be something similar. He felt honoured that Hifumi valued his opinion so highly, but a little frightened too. Having someone care so much about you brought with it new anxieties after all.

"Alright, so if the two of you are done with your marriage dispute, I have something to announce!"

Yusuke smiled. Leave it to Futaba to interrupt him just when he needed it. She always managed to distract him from his racing mind.

"Me and Inari think we should have a celebration, y'know since both of you won your matches."

So Nijima had won hers as well. Yusuke felt a strange feeling of victory. If both of them had won, it would be easier to convince Nijima to come with them for a celebration. They could disguise it as- wait. When had he become so invested in the "plan" to get Hifumi and Nijima together?

Yusuke let Futaba explain, but he couldn't help the feeling of excitement blossoming in his chest. _Would they actually be able to pull this off?_

Apparently Futaba wanted to hold the celebration at a place called Cafe Leblanc where she claimed they served the best curry in Japan. She also seemed to know the owner because she was certain she could "at least bully Sojiro into giving them a discount" as she put it.

As predicted, both Hifumi and Nijima seemed to like the idea. They decided to take the subway together since Leblanc was situated in Yongen-Jaya, quite a ways from where they were currently. Thus, Yusuke found himself on a train going somewhere he'd never been before, with three girls his age. He realized this would have never happened had he been by himself, or even just him and Hifumi. Maybe Futaba's sense of adventure was rubbing off on all of them.

Still, he felt himself aching to know more about the girl. He realized that despite having known her for a while now, he still had so many questions. Who was this girl who had, quite literally, crashed into his life? Who could rattle of chemical formulas or book titles off the top of her head, but struggled to talk to shop keepers or street vendors without stuttering? The girl who'd told him she sometimes experienced panic attacks, yet kept smiling brightly like nothing in the world bothered her.

They had never really talked about the incident in Jimbocho, though Yusuke had caught Futaba sneaking a few concerned glances his way a few times since then. He realized she must be wondering too, which made sense since he hadn't explained the reason behind his attack either. Since most people he encountered had heard about it from the media, he hadn't needed to explain it to them. Telling Futaba, seemed somehow wrong, like he would infect her with prejudice against him. He knew this was ridiculous of course, but that didn't quell the anxiety.

Well, he supposed continuing that train of thought would have to wait until later, as a recorded female voice from the speakers let him know that the next stop would be _Yongen-Jaya_ , where they would get off.

 _A/N_

 _Hello everyone!_

 _I'm back again, after way too long. I'm really sorry I haven't been updating recently, I've been super busy with school and honestly I've been having a hard time finding motivation to write recently. But I really want to finish this, and I've been reading a lot of Persona fanfiction recently so that has inspired me :)_

 _In other news, this chapter ended up becoming wayy to long, so I've split it into two (That's why the end is kind of abrupt). I'm uploading this first part now and the second one whenever I have time, probably later today. Hopefully these chapters make up for the long wait!_

 _I would like to thank everyone who has liked, followed and especially rewiewed this story so far. I've been reading through the rewiews when I feel down, and I have to say that they really make me feel better. Thank you so much!_

As usual, feedback is very much appreciated, and I always love to hear your opinions on the chapters.

See you soon!


	11. Chapter 9 pt 2

Yusuke's first impression of Yongen-Jaya was admittedly, slight disappointment. It looked like any ordinary neighbourhood. Narrow streets winded between dirty houses with unkempt lawns, trash and cigarettes lined the sidewalks, and most of the streetlights flickered. He supposed he'd figured any place Futaba Sakura liked would be more… colorful.

But as Futaba led them through the streets, pointing out landmarks like

"Look, that's the old man who once sold me a freaking TV suuper cheap," or "That cinema is owned by really old people. They're nice though, tells me they'll give me free popcorn if I ever bring a boyfriend over" he started to see the place in a different light.

Futaba waved and greeted almost everybody, and they all smiled in return. She even left their group to join a couple of kids playing tag on the sidewalk at one point. Yusuke could easily imagine a smaller version of Futaba sprinting down the narrow pathways, hair flying in the wind while pedestrians stepped out of the way to avoid a collision.

Suddenly the dim lights made the roads look homely and inviting, instead of dirty. Yusuke found himself wanting to capture the atmosphere in art, turning the dark paths into brushstrokes on a canvas. He smiled at the thought, and wondered if Futaba would like a painting of the place.

Finally, after waving goodbye to the alleged TV-salesman, they ended up outside of Cafe Leblanc. It was a quaint place, the warm light from the windows bathing the dark red doors in a homely light. It felt like the kind of hole in the wall cafe that you'd walk right by a thousand times, only to walk in and find yourself in a completely different world. Futaba ran right up to the doors, and barged in, shouting at somebody named Sojiro to "get his ass out from behind the counter and greet her new friends."

Yusuke curiously entered the shop, holding the door for Hifumi and Nijima. A dark haired boy with big glasses stood behind the counter, he waved at Futaba when he noticed them.

"Hi Futaba, Sojiro went to buy some cigarettes, I'm sure he'll be back soon."

He pushed his glasses up, regarding Yusuke and the others curiously.

"I presume you are Futaba's friends from Kosei? My name is Akira Kurusu, nice to meet you."

They introduced themselves, and Futaba explained why they were there. Kurusu immediately agreed to make them curry, and told them to make themselves at home.

"I'm just a barista, so I'm not as good at cooking as the Boss, but I'll do my best" he said, while showing them to a table.

"It's good to have some people here again. It's been a slow day, and being a barista gets pretty lonely when there's nobody to brew coffee for."

Only now did Yusuke notice that the cafe seemed completely vacant, despite it being early evening. He wondered why, since cafe Leblanc seemed like a nice place.

Before they sat down, Futaba pulled on his arm.

"Hey, just follow my lead. We're gonna do this!" she whispered conspiratorially.

She climbed into the seat in front of her and pulled on Yusuke's arm to make him sit next to her. Nijima gave them a smile before sitting down opposite Futaba, Hifumi following closely behind. Not long after, Kurusu appeared again, holding four cups of coffee. He put them down on the table.

"Thanks Akira!" Futaba chimed, reaching for a cup.

Kurusu chuckled and smiled. "Always a pleasure, Futaba. I'll go get the cardamom."

Futaba grinned and Yusuke sent her a curious glance.

"Hey, coffee is like, 10 000 times better with cardamom."

"I second that!" Kurusu's voice sounded from the back of the cafe. Everybody laughed and he poked his face out, smiling widely.

Cafe Leblanc had such a welcoming atmosphere, everybody felt at ease. They made small talk while they waited for their food, Kurusu occasionally chiming in with a comment from the kitchen. Honestly, it was probably the most fun Yusuke had experienced in a long time. Him and Hifumi, while being good friends, had never really done many activities outside of school. And besides, there was a certain feeling when you were part of a group that you didn't get when you were alone or with only one person. Yusuke realized with shock that the last time he'd felt like this had been when he was living with sensei and the other pupils. He'd only been a child then, and he hadn't realized just how badly he'd missed it.

Kurusu came back, carrying four steaming plates with curry. He placed them on the table, making a show of bowing deeply as he put Futaba's food on the table. She practically squealed in delight, and hurriedly blew on the food to make it cool down. Yusuke had to admit, it smelled divine. He himself was quite excited to taste what Futaba had proudly described as "the best curry in Japan."

As soon as Kurusu had left the table, Hifumi leaned over, eyes gleaming.

"So Futaba, is that your boyfriend?"

Nijima shot her a very confused glance and Futaba almost spit out her coffee.

"Who, Akira?" She laughed, like that was the most outrageous concept on earth. Yusuke found himself somehow happy, though he couldn't quite understand why. Why would Futaba having a boyfriend bother _him?_

"Nah, Akira already has a boyfriend. And honestly, Akechi-san is kind of scary."

"But _very_ hot!" Kurusu chimed in from the kitchen.

Futaba opened her mouth to reply, but before she got the chance the cafe door opened and a middle-age man stepped inside. He had dark hair and an impressive goatee, and was wearing a bright pink shirt and a coffee-stained apron. He stopped in confusion as he took in the sight of four teenagers sitting in his otherwise empty cafe, probably after regular closing time, but when he saw Futaba, he smiled bemusedly.

"Sojirooo!" Futaba stood up in her seat and waved. The man -Sojiro- waved back, before walking over to their table.

"Hello kids, I am Sojiro Sakura, though everyone usually call me Boss. You all must be Futaba's friends."

He introduced himself and then without missing a beat took a swig of Futaba's coffee. He coughed, slamming the cup back onto the counter.

"Hey, Kurusu! D'you put that godawful stuff in the coffee again? It tastes like goddamn cardamom buns"

Kurusu's laughter rang out through the cafe, and Sakura muttered something about "damn brats wasting good coffee beans" under his breath. He cleared his throat.

"Well anyhow, I want you kids to know that any friend of Futaba's is welcome here. Feel free to stop by for a cup of coffee anytime."

They all nodded. Sakura seemed like a nice guy, and Yusuke understood why Futaba had wanted them to meet him. He was already feeling more at home in the friendly atmosphere of Leblanc than he had in a long time.

They engaged in some lighthearted conversation with Sakura for a while, which ended up as an argument between Futaba and Sakura on whether cardamom was an acceptable spice to put in your coffee. (The dispute was quickly resolved when Kurusu was called in as a tie-breaker and Sakura reminded him who paid his salary)

After a few minutes, Sakura excused himself to go close the shop. Futaba got an urgent expression on her face and stood up on her chair, moving to follow the man.

"That's right! Yusuke and I also had… stuff to do."

Yusuke suddenly remembered the reason why they had come here. He looked over at Nijima and Hifumi. They seemed to be immersed in a conversation about Shogi anyway, but they broke it off when he stood.

"That is correct. I believe Futaba and I have… urgent matters to deal with."

Nijima nodded knowingly.

"Alright you two, why don't you go outside and deal with your _urgent matters_ " She smiled brightly and Yusuke wondered why on earth Nijima wasn't questioning his extremely fishy excuse. Apparently Hifumi did as well, because she sent a questioning glance at her friend, who answered without missing a beat, loud enough so that everyone in the shop could hear.

"Well they're probably going to go make out! That's what couples do, right?"

For a split second, the

Futaba almost fell of her chair in surprise, throwing her arms around her face to hide her red cheeks. "Wh-wha-where? Where the hell did that come from?" she sputtered.

Sakura dropped the keys he'd been using to lock the doors, twirling around to glare at Yusuke with a very scary expression on his face while Kurusu, who had been polishing a cup by the sink, gave Yusuke an impressed glance.

Hifumi broke out in giggles, hugging her chest and gasping for air while Nijima looked at everyone with a very confused expression on her normally stoic face.

Yusuke blinked once, twice, and three times before the meaning of Njima's words sank in. As soon as they did however, his cheeks became even redder than Futaba's.

"N-nno That's not- I assure you it's not-" His sputtering wasn't any more legible than Futaba's.

"A-anyway" Futaba managed, composing herself. "Come on Yusuke! Let's go." She climbed out of their booth and practically sprinted out of the Café, leaving Yusuke to follow her out.

Outside of Leblanc, the air was humid and pleasant. Futaba was sitting on the ground, rocking back and forth of the heels of her feet as usual. She motioned for Yusuke to join her and he did, crouching on the pavement until they were eye to eye.

"Well, how about we decide to never speak of _that_ again." Futaba mumbled, pink still dusting her cheeks.

"Agreed." Yusuke nodded. Still, something about what Niijima had said had stuck with him. He wondered what it would be like, having Futaba as a-

He shook his head. Yusuke had never had a _crush_ , as Futaba had put it, so he didn't know what he felt for Futaba. It was certainly possible that he liked her as more of a friend, he wouldn't deny the possibility.

Still, he was certain that his feelings weren't reciprocated. Futaba hadn't done anything to insinuate her liking him as more than a friend, and Yusuke wasn't going to ruin one of the best friendships he'd ever experienced by confessing to her only to be shut down.

He didn't know if he could go back to the way things were before, without Futaba.

"Ey! Inari, why do you look so down?" Yusuke looked up to see Futaba poking his arm.

"Pardon, I was just thinking." Futaba looked unconvinced, but she dropped it.

"Anyway, I was gonna say that we can observe the progress through here." She gestured to a small window that Yusuke assumed led into the café. He hadn't seen it when they were inside though, so it must be pretty well hidden.

Through it, Yusuke saw Hifumi and Nijima sitting by a table. He couldn't see very well since there was a potted plant and a couple of chair in the way, but the girls seemed to be having a good time. Yusuke even thought he spotted some blush on Hifumi's cheeks, but he wasn't sure.

A curious feeling of accomplishment and giddiness caught Yusuke by surprise as he watched the girls. The feeling of victory, of being a part of something special made his arms weak and his breath catch in his throat. What was this?

He felt Futaba pressing her shoulder into his in an attempt to see through the window. She grinned when she saw the couple, and made a thumbs up. Yusuke could see her brown eyes glitter in the reflection of the window. The shadows from the warmly lit Café made Futaba's hair glow, and Yusuke noticed that the skin around her nose was speckled with light brown freckles. It was very cute.

He realized that the happiness he felt wasn't really from Hifumi and Nijima's relationship, though he did certainly feel happy for them as well. No, this feeling came from being included. To share a secret, a plan, with another person. To have somebody trust him with a mission, even if it's just something stupid like setting up a date for two friends.

Just the act of sharing something with another individual, something only for the two of them that nobody else was a part of, was a wonderful feeling. And Yusuke realized that he'd never felt something like this before. Even when he was living with Sensei and the others, there had always been an air of competition there. Everyone was always scrambling to prove themselves, to show that they were worthy of Sensei's tutorship, and then there had been the other things too. The lies and deception that took Yusuke years to see through.

The giddy feeling seemed to give Yusuke courage he didn't know he possessed. He was suddenly overcome by a desire to thank Futaba, to let her know how much this had meant to him. Even if she hadn't realized, she'd given him exactly what he needed, and he was very grateful.

 _But_ , he thought, _If I tell her I'll have to explain everything_. For some reason, that thought didn't fill him with as much dread as before. He was still scared, terrified even, that Futaba would learn about his past and reject him, that it would taint her image of him. And yet a part of him wanted her to know. It had probably always been there, buried under a mound of anxiety and brought to the surface by the homely smell of coffee and the feeling of Futaba's shoulder pressed into his.

Maybe telling Futaba wouldn't be so bad, maybe it would even help.

Yusuke made up his mind. He cleared his throat, and turned to face his friend.

" Uhm, while we wait. I- I guess I- I would like to tell you something. Is there somewhere more," he looked around, "more private we could go?

 _A/N_

 _Hey everyone!_

 _I hope you enjoyed the second part of this chapter!_

 _Hopefully now that this is out you'll forgive me for disappearing for almost 50 days, (sorry :P)_

 _I've got to say though, that even though this part was kind of hard to write I am very happy with how it turned out, (also the shameless adding of Akeshu because I am trash is shameless) Also, shoutout to my friend from school (if you even read this xD) for helping me with Sojiro's coffe descriptions (Because I don't drink coffee)_

 _Well, that's enough rambling for today. Once again, a big thank you to everyone who has read, loved and especially to those who rewieved this story. It's a great feeling to know that people will read and (hopefully) enjoy something that you've made and I'm really glad I get to experience it._

 _As usual, critizism is very appreciated!_

 _See you later!_


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Futaba was, admittedly, relieved at hearing Yusuke's request. Ever since the incident in Jimbocho, she had been worried about her friend. She had tried her best to not let it show, of course, since she was certain that was the last thing Yusuke wanted, but she couldn't help the twinge of anxiety when he didn't pick up his phone, or when he was absent from school.

She hoped that whatever he wanted to talk about would put her mind at ease somewhat, or at least give her a better ability to help.

"Yeah, I know a place. Sojiro's house is just up ahead and I sleep in the guest room so often, it's practically mine at this point. Nobody will bother us there."

She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and then grabbed his hand, pulling him along. Ever since she'd started doing that during the tournament, she'd found she liked holding hands with Yusuke. She didn't really understand it, but she figured it might be a comfort for both of them in this situation.

Yusuke didn't say a word the entire trip, but Futaba caught his expression shift between worry, relief and terror. She hoped that was a good thing, because she was _not_ equipped to handle another panic attack.

She remembered telling Yusuke that she had experience with them back in Jimbocho, but that had practically been a lie.

Yes, she had plenty of experience _receiving_ panic attacks, but when someone else needed help, she had been at a complete loss. It had been pure luck that she managed to pull him out of it back then.

When they arrived at Sojiro's house, Futaba unlocked the door, doing the best to ignore the sudden loss of warmth when she had to let go of Yusuke's hand because _now is_ not _the time_. They proceeded to head down the stairs and into the guest room. If Yusuke found it uncomfortable to be alone in a bedroom with her, he didn't show it, so Futaba took that as a good sign. Well, either he trusted her or he was too worried about whatever he was going to tell her to really notice. She supposed she'd find out.

"Hey Yusuke? You okay?" Futaba cringed at how pathetic her voice sounded. She'd wanted to be the confident one, to make this easier for her friend. She had _not_ wanted to sound like someone who was just as anxious, even though her heart was twisting with worry.

Yusuke nodded distractedly, and Futaba put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to reality. It worked whenever he got too invested in painting anyway, so she figured it wouldn't hurt.

They sat down on the unmade bed together, Yusuke almost as if he were in a trance.

He cleared his throat apprehensively. "Do you remember that day, when we went to the bookstore with Hifumi?"

Yusuke's voice was small, much smaller than Futaba had ever heard it. He looked uncharacteristically frail as he sat in the dim light, hands folded in his lap and head hanging. She nodded, not wanting to interrupt with speech.

"You asked me why I'd panicked, and I didn't want to talk about it then." His dark eyes kept darting around the room, as if he was looking for someone. Futaba sat perfectly still on the bed.

"Well- I've decided that I want you to know. We're friends and I feel that it wouldn't be right to keep something so- so _major_ from you." He looked up at Futaba for confirmation, and she nodded approvingly.

 _Keep going, I'm here for you._

Yusuke took a deep breath. "It's quite a long story."

"When I was little, my mother died in- well she was killed. I have no memories of her at all, and I never knew my father either." Futaba could see his fingers twisting in his lap.  
"Instead, I grew up under the care of the great- under the care of Ichiryusai Madarame, my Sensei."

Futaba thought she recognized that name, then she realized. The poster they had found that day in Jimbocho, hadn't it been advertising an exhibition by someone with that name? She returned her attention to Yusuke, thoughts swirling in her head.

"Sensei was like a father to me," Yusuke continued, his voice wavering. "He took care of me, gave me a home, he even let me work with him as a student. At the time- he was my whole world." "I rarely left our atelier except to attend exhibitions and, when I grew older, school. I isolated myself from other people, and I was content to live with Sensei and the other students."

He took another deep breath, as if to calm himself. Futaba scooted closer to him, so that they were sitting with their arms touching. Her face was calm, but inside her mind was racing at 100 miles/hour. Was this why Yusuke could be so... strange? He'd grown up without any social contact outside of a certain group of people. He'd grown up without real friends just like herself.

"I suppose things were good for a while" Yusuke continued, and Futaba snapped back to attention. "I do not know exactly when things went wrong, it's a blur in my mind. I was so young, and I just- accepted things, I guess." His voice trembled again.

"One day, Sensei approached me for help." Yusuke's gaze was no longer flitting around the room, instead now firmly pointed at the ground beneath himself. "He told me that his most prized project, his primary source of inspiration, had been stolen."

Futaba blinked. Wait, what? This Madarame-guy had his _own_ painting as inspiration? Still, she thought she'd heard something about that on the news when she was small, a famous painting being stolen.

"H-he told me that the theft had shaken him up so badly, he could no longer find inspiration and-" Yusuke's voice broke. These memories must be very painful to recall, because Futaba didn't think she'd ever seen him emote this much before. She wanted _so badly_ to make him feel better.

"W-well he wanted my help, or- more accurately." His smile turned somewhat self deprecating. "He wanted to steal my work."

Futaba looked confused. "How do you steal a _painting?_ Like, aren't those things copyrighted or something?" She immediately regretted opening her mouth, but Yusuke didn't really seemed to have noticed her interruption. He only sighed.

"I painted the paintings, he told the public that they were his own. He assured me it was only for a little while, until his inspiration returned but-" He chuckled darkly.

"One day, the police knocked on our door. Almost two years ago now."

Futaba's eyes were wide with pity and anger, admittedly a very strange combination of feelings. She felt torn between wanting to give Yusuke a big hug that lasted until his solemn expression was replaced by his normal dreamy smile, and finding this "Madarame" person and punching his teeth in.

She remained seated however. Yusuke clearly wanted her to listen, so she would.

"I- I don't really remember much about the legal process, I've been told it's probably from the shock. At first, I didn't want to believe what the police told me at all." He looked angry, as if _he_ somehow was in the wrong. Now, Futaba was torn between hugging him, punching his mentor, or punching _him_ for being so stupid. She settled for neither.

"Hey, you know none of that was your fault, right?" She tentatively placed a hand on Yusuke's arm, heart pounding all the while. She didn't want to come off as pushy, or weird, or annoying or-

Yusuke looked up at her in surprise, as if he'd just then noticed her presence. His eyes shone with a myriad of different emotions, but Futaba thought she glimpsed some gratefulness. She smiled brightly in return.

"Yes, I am aware it wasn't my fault. I'm just-" Yusuke turned to the ground, glaring down and wearing an expression similar to when he saw something artistically displeasing. _Similar to how he looked that day, before everything happened_ , Futaba thought, with a small smile.

"You're upset with yourself for not realizing sooner, right?"

She thought she'd caught on now. Yusuke had a hard time putting his thoughts into words. If he'd been given the opportunity to express them through paint, Futaba had no doubt he'd make a masterpiece, but when asked to translate them into English, he struggled. That was alright though. She could help.

Yusuke nodded gratefully. "Yeah, I was. But I was also angry at the police. You see-" He took a deep breath. "Even after they arrested Sensei, I believed him to be wrongfully accused at the beginning. I was told that I had been brainwashed, that I'd been used, but I didn't listen-"

"They told me he was a monster, but I still saw the picture that he'd painted for me. The deception was so strong-" His voice broke off, and Futaba thought she heard a small whimper come out of the artist's mouth. Her heart immediately broke.

"Yusuke-" she tried slowly. "It's okay. I'm listening, you can take your time." She had no idea how long they had been sitting here in the darkness, and she had a sneaking suspicion Hifumi and Nijima might grow worried if they stayed too long, but voicing her concerns was not an option.

She didn't care if she had to blockade the entrance to the house with bricks: Yusuke seemed to want to tell her about this, and he _would_ get to do so.

Futaba tried to project these feelings by gripping his arm in what she hoped came off as a friendly gesture. She didn't want Yusuke to fall too deep into his thoughts again.

"T-there was a painting-" he began shakily, much more uncertain than before. Futaba realized that what he was about to talk about must be _very_ difficult, apparently more so than an entire _childhood_ of abuse. She held her breath in anticipation.

"The Sayuri, my Sensei's masterpiece. It contained a beauty like none other, it couldn't be compared to any works."

Yusuke's body was still hunched in sadness, his expression still a far cry from what Futaba was used to. But when he talked about this painting, it seemed like some life returned to his eyes. Whatever this painting depicted, it must be pretty impressive. Futaba wondered if she could see it somewhere.

"It was the greatest treasure of them all, the diamond among jewels. But-" Yusuke's frown turned dark and hateful.

"It was stolen, just like everything else."

"I didn't know until later, but Sensei had been making forgeries of the Sayuri and selling them to collectors for money. That was bad enough, turning pure art to a means of _profit_ , sullying the purity by tainting it with the greed of humanity but that wasn't even the worst part."

"The painting hadn't been Sensei's work from the beginning. He'd stolen it. And he'd stolen it from-" Yusuke paused again, and Futaba could see him struggling to wipe away tears from his cheeks. She took a risk, lifting her hand from his arm and using it to catch the hand that was trying to wipe away his tears.

"It's okay," she whispered. "It's alright to cry."

She had absolutely _no_ idea where that had come from, but as soon as she'd said it, she knew she'd meant every word. It made her angry to see people hide their sadness, whatever reason they may have for doing so.

Being sad isn't anything shameful, it was natural. Her mother had taught her that, and she would pass it on to Yusuke in return, even if it did happen in the darkness of a room that wasn't even hers while they hid from their probably worried friends and Futaba's almost-uncle.

Yusuke nodded, and let his hand drop back down in his lap. Tears slid down his pale cheeks, all the way from his deep blue eyes to his neck. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound being Yusuke's shaky breathing and distant screams of people on the outside of the house. Futaba realized she'd almost forgotten what the normal world sounded like. Sitting here in the dark with Yusuke, it felt like they had been transported to another universe, one where only they existed.

Eventually, Yusuke opened his mouth again. When he spoke, his voice was thick and uneven, riddled with grief.

"The painting used to belong to my- to my mother."

Futaba sat completely still, not wanting to break the silence. She remembered that Yusuke had mentioned not knowing his parents before, but she hadn't realized how much that had hurt him.

"To sum it up. Sensei stole the painting from my mother after she suffered a heart attack. he neglected to help her, so in a way- he was responsible for her death."

Futaba couldn't help it, she let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a whimper. Yusuke turned his head tiredly to look at her.

"Oh god, Yusuke-" She didn't know what to say. What could she _possibly_ say that would make this better?

 _Nothing_ , her mind told her. _Your words can't do anything._

"Futaba it- it is alright. You should not feel pressured to act a certain way because of this."

Yusuke's voice was low and hoarse from crying, but his words hit Futaba right in the heart. Here they were, Yusuke just having bared his heart to her, and he was comforting _her!_

Futaba felt her eyes tear up. She let out a sound somewhere between a giggle and a sob. _Screw it,_ she told herself, pressing down her anxiety.

Her body moved almost reflexively. She sprang up from her seated position, throwing her arms around a very bewildered Yusuke. She pressed her head to his chest, arms resting around his shoulders.

"You- I'm supposed to be comforting _you,_ dummy!" She sobbed, her vision blurring as wet tears hit her glasses.

Yusuke sat perfectly still for a moment, and then his body relaxed. He gently placed his arms around Futaba's back and rested his head on top of hers.

Yusuke's body was warm, and strangely soft. He smelled of Leblanc coffee and acrylic paints, and Futaba smiled because _of course_ he did. Being this close, Futaba experienced something completely foreign to her. It was a strange nervosity mixed with a warm, tingly feeling, similar to what she'd felt when they held hands but _much_ stronger.

For some reason, she never wanted to let go of Yusuke's shoulders, and that thought made her cry even harder. A bit of Yusuke's vibrant blue hair tickled her cheek, and she had a sudden urge to run her fingers through it, (but _no!_ That was definitely weird, right? Like, super weird and strange, right?)

She lifted a hand from his neck to move it away, figuring that was inconspicuous enough and _god his hair is soft. What on earth does he do to it?_ She pulled back her hand, noting with surprise that her fingers came off coated in white. She stared at them in confusion for a moment, then she realized what had happened.

She began to laugh, giggling until her entire body was shaking. Futaba didn't particularly understand why since it, in hindsight, hadn't been very funny, but she chalked it up to the emotional overload.

Her laughter earned her a very confused look from Yusuke. "What- why on earth are you laughing?" He asked in exasperation, voice hoarse from crying. He didn't seem mad though, which Futaba in hindsight was immensely grateful for.

"Y-you have paint in your _hair_ " she managed through her giggles. "How the _hell_ do you manage to get paint in your hair? Like, that's on your _head."_

Yusuke chuckled. "Oh, yes It happens quite frequently. I have a somewhat bothersome habit of leaning very close to the canvas when I inspect my work."

His voice had lost some of the heaviness, something that Futaba was very pleased to hear. Yusuke was supposed to sound like a lovable airhead, always lost in his own perception of reality. His voice had no business sounding as mellow and pained as it had a few moments ago.

"Of course you do," Futaba said, trying and failing to keep a straight face. "God Inari, you are _such_ an airhead,"

She felt her heart skip a beat when she heard Yusuke let out a laugh. Going against her base instinct to keep hugging Yusuke until hell froze over, Futaba reluctantly let go of his shoulders to look him in the eyes.

"Hey, just wanna tell you. Your dad may have been an asshole, but I'll be here. You can talk to me anytime, got it?"

Yusuke's eyes lit up even further. "Thank you, Futaba. You truly are a wonderful friend. I am very lucky to have met you." He looked right at her, his entire face glowing with thankfulness and happiness. His eyes and cheeks were red from tears, his eyes glistening. His hair was in complete disarray, and his clothes were rumpled from Futaba's hug-attack.

Still. He'd never looked more beautiful. His entire body radiated a kind of innocence and serenity that was unlike anything Futaba had ever come across. She felt a sudden urge to find this "Madarame" guy and kick him right in the gut with her _spinning push_ _attack™_ for ever hurting him. Futaba realized with a start, that she was fully prepared to do it. She would attack another human being, if Yusuke wanted her to. The thought was equal amounts exhilarating and terrifying.

She looked away, trying to pretend like her red cheeks were from his compliments, and not a consequence of an intense burst of _whatever_ that had been. It'd felt like more than an average friendship, that was for sure, but what exactly it had been, Futaba had no clue.

"Hey thanks," she murmured. "You're not so bad yourself, you know. You've definitely leveled up from NPC to Party-member.

Best to not think about it for now, and also, at this point Hifumi and Nijima were _definitely_ looking for them.

"We should probably get back, I'm sure the others are worried by now. And also, Sojiro will _freak_ if he finds out I'm missing."

She tried to change the subject, before her blush turned her face even _redder._ Yusuke nodded in agreement and stood, half-heartedly rubbing at his eyes to remove the redness.

Once he deemed himself at least partly presentable, they left Sojiro's house.

Hifumi and Nijima were standing outside of Leblanc, talking to Akira about something. They all looked up when Futaba and Yusuke approached. Hifumi immediately ran up to them, and Futaba mentally thanked their friend for not asking questions when she noted Futaba's and Yusuke's red eyes. Instead, she ignored their disheveled appearances and pretended like nothing was amiss, getting them to participate in the conversation seamlessly.

"So, Makoto and I were thinking-" She began, but Futaba wasn't paying attention.

The strange amalgamation of fear, excitement and comfort that had plagued her ever since the _talk_ showed no signs of dissipating, and it was making it very difficult to pay attention. Futaba felt like she'd just had a cup of Sojiro's extra strong coffee and was sitting through a 5 hour lecture.

Akira noticed this, (Really, sometimes he took his role of "annoying big brother" a little too seriously,) and stepped in.

"Hey, how about we discuss this over the phone instead? It's getting kind of late."

Hifumi nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was so excited, I didn't even think-" Nijima placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner, and Futaba wondered just how big of a success their plan had been. She looked forward to interrogating Hifumi the next time they were alone.

"Yes, I must admit, I am feeling somewhat fatigued," Yusuke admitted, somewhat bashfully. Futaba noted that his posture was sagging and his bright eyes had lost some light. He must have really tired himself out earlier, though that was easy to understand.

Crying took a lot out of you, Futaba knew that better than anyone.

Spurred by Yusuke's admission, they all decided to head home. Akira waved them goodbye as they headed toward the train station, and Futaba called her mother to let her know she was coming home.

Wakaba sounded tired on the phone, but she was as awesome as ever. She, for once, didn't have anything pressing at the university where she worked, so they did what they usually did during rare moments of free time, spent the evening curled up on the sofa, eating leftover curry and watching the latest episodes of Featherman R.

That temporarily distracted Futaba from the emotional war raging in her chest, (And seriously, she was considering going to the hospital or something, she was pretty sure it wasn't normal.) Still though, she found herself sometimes staring off into space, hearing the ghostly echoes of a dark and melodic voice, or imagining the warm feeling of Yusuke's arms around her and, god what was _wrong_ with her?

A/N

Hello everyone!

Look, a chapter that didn't take _multiple_ months to upload this time! Aaaand it's the beginning of the romance, (finally.) Yeah, I'm just gonna come out and say this now. I have no romantic experience, like none at all. I've never even had a crush, or even been close to crushing on someone. Does that mean all of my romance will most likely be awkward and possibly inaccurate? Hell yes!

Does that mean I'm not gonna write it? Hell no!

So yeah, I really hope it isn't that bad, but like I said, I have no referance point so I don't really know. I hope you'll still keep reading (cause at this point I LITERALLY live of your rewiews and likes) And I know I usually say this, but I really appreciate critizism, especially considering the romance parts. PLEASE tell me if you think it's cringe or if something is unnatural!

On another note, I kinda changed Yusuke's background a LOT in this, and I'm assuming everyone who's reading has played or watched a playthrough of persona 5 (If not, then STOP READING AND PLAY THE GAME CAUSE IT'S AMAZING) So if you have any questions about it, if something isn't clear, or if there is an inconsistancy somewhere, please let me know!

On that note, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter, critizism is always welcome! Once again a HUUUGE thank you to all of you for reading, liking and rewieving, and that's enough of my rambling.

See you later!


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

(Message from **Kitagawa, Yusuke** to **Isshiki, Futaba)**

 _Hello Futaba, it's Yusuke. Just checking in to make sure you got home alright. I…_

Yusuke's fingers hovered over the keyboard. He glared at his phone as he desperately tried to puzzle together a semblance of a working sentence.

 _I'd like to reiterate what I said to you earlier…_ no, that sounded way to impersonal, and formal.

 _I want to thank you for what you said today…_ better. Still, Yusuke lacked the proper words to describe the feelings inside him. Talking to Futaba about his past had probably been one of the best decisions he'd ever made. He could still recall the warm and comfortable feeling of her arms around him, the quiet support she'd offered him that had meant more than any words could.

She'd felt so small and fragile in his arms, but then again she was petite. Yusuke felt an irrational desire to protect Futaba against- well he wasn't sure what. But he knew that, given the opportunity, he would. He could feel the promise etch itself into his heart the moment she'd taken his hand earlier that day.

" _It's alright to cry."_ she'd said, and Yusuke had been confused because he'd never heard anyone say that before. Phrases like, "Tears are a sign of weakness," or "Tears are unmanly" had been all he'd experienced, and yet Futaba had said the words like she believed them 100%.

Like they were an undeniable fact no matter what the world thought. He admired that about her, how she was able to be herself despite the criticism of others. She was strong, much more than he'd realized when they had first met.

 _Hello Futaba, it's Yusuke. Just checking in to make sure you got home alright. I want to thank you for what you said today. Both your words and your support meant the world to me, and I feel you need to know that._

 _I realize I am not always the best at expressing myself, but I want to make something clear._

 _You told me that I could talk to you about anything, and I want to also extend that offer to you._

 _I suspect that you have some things you bury deep as well. And I'd like it if you felt comfortable enough one day to tell me about them. It doesn't have to be soon, or even this year._

 _But I want you to know that the offer is there._

 _Sincerely, Your friend Yusuke._

Yusuke's fingers trembled as he finished the message. He was just about to push send, when his phone alerted him to a new message and Hifumi's profile picture, a cute brown dog with its tounge out, interrupted him.

(Message from **Togo, Hifumi** to **Kitagawa, Yusuke)**

 _So, you know that thing that we were talking about before? I made a chat group, join it. Also, could you tell Futaba too? She's invited but she hasn't responded._

 _Also, we need to have an emergency meeting after school tomorrow, I may or may not have a movie date this weekend and I need HELP!_

 _Thanks!_

 _Hifumi._

The message made Yusuke smile, and he opened up Futaba's profile again.

 _PS: Hifumi just messaged me, and she wanted me relay that she wants to discuss something with us in a group chat she's created. Also, I'm fairly certain our "mission" was a success. She wants to meet up after school tomorrow._

 _DS._

After pushing send, Yusuke got up to get ready for bed. His dorm was dark, save for the light of a single streetlight outside of the window. The room was bathed in shades of dark indigo and azure.

Yusuke wasn't a painter who could recreate empty scenery very well, especially not while working with the minimal detail and colour variation that he found in the dark shadows. But he could appreciate the serenity and beauty of the moment.

Beauty was very fleeting, as was one's ability to appreciate it. When he'd lived with Madarame, blue was just blue. A colour, flat and empty of feelings.

But after meeting Hifumi, starting school and finally making real friends, finally _fitting in_ , Yusuke could no longer see blue.

He saw light, fighting desperately to survive the heavy dark that threatened to smother it. He saw wonders in the images that were cast by shadows on walls.

He chuckled to himself. Maybe he was a "airhead," as Futaba had put it.

Shrugging, Yusuke got ready for bed. He had no pending homework that needed immediate attention, so he figured he could spend the rest of the evening chatting with Hifumi and the others. He checked, but Futaba hadn't responded to his message, she hadn't even opened it.

Yusuke had to admit, he was curious as to what her response would be, though he supposed it didn't really matter. He had enough faith in Futaba to know that she wouldn't make fun of him or act differently because of it.

He opened his phone again, and accepted the invitation that Hifumi had sent him, getting immediately thrown into a discussion between Hifumi and an unknown adress about various shogi strategies.

 **Hifumi:** Speed is absolutely _crucial_ in Syuuban, that's like one of the fundamentals of the game. Really, I expected better from you!

 **Yusuke:** Hello, I just joined and I'm afraid I've missed quite a lot. Who is _phantom_thief_supreme mail?_

 **phantom_thief_supreme mail:** Oh right, You're that quiet blue-haired kid from earlier, Yusuke, right?

 **Yusuke:** We've met? I don't have your name registered, so if you could please introduce yourself again?

 **Hifumi:** Right! Yusuke, this is Kurusu Akira. You remember him from earlier, right?

 _Oh right, the barista_. Yusuke wondered where the name "phantom theif" came from. Maybe he could ask later. As it was, he added Kurusu to his contacts, as to not create more misunderstandings in the future.

 **Yusuke:** Right, hello Kurusu.

 **Akira:** Hey!

 **Hifumi:** Anyway, now that's out of the way, we made this chat for a reason.

Right, Hifumi had mentioned that she'd wanted to discuss something. Yusuke wondered what she'd wanted to talk about that involved _Kurusu,_ of all people. They had only known him for a couple of hours, after all.

 **Hifumi:** Soo, you know how the summer festival is coming up and all?

 **Yusuke:** Right, I believe it occurs next week. Why?

 **Hifumi:** Yeah, well me and Makoto were gonna go, and Akira's gonna bring his boyfriend along so we thought we'd gather a couple of people. You haven't been to a festival in a while, right?

It was true, Yusuke hadn't exactly had any chances to go to a festival. He has a memory of Madarame taking him in his earlier years, he was maybe five years old or so. They had watched the fireworks and Yusuke had spent a month practically locked in his room afterward, trying to replicate the colours with pencils and finger-paint.

In later years, he hadn't had the time and after the ordeal it had seemed pointless.

 **Yusuke:** That's correct, I haven't been to one for quite some time now.

 **Hifumi:** Well you're going this year! Anyway, now we just need to get Futaba to join, and we'll be a complete group.

 **Yusuke:** Hang on, I haven't accepted yet!

 _ **has joined.**_

 **Futaba:** It seems I have been summoned, for what purpose have you brought me into this world, mortals?

 **Akira:** So you're not coming? Don't be boring, the more the merrier!

 **Futaba:** Wait, Akira? What the hell are you doing here?

 **Akira:** Trying to get your _boyfriend_ to not be a spoilsport :P

 **Futaba:** niewfbuweholwhat?

 **Yusuke:** Firstly, me and Futaba are not, in fact, dating. I thought we'd made that abundantly clear earlier today. Secondly, I haven't said I won't be attending, simply that I need to check if I'm available or not.

 **Hifumi:** Don't bother, you don't have any major exams. I know your schedule.

 **Futaba:** Okay what? What did I miss? What the hell is Inari "attending?"

 **Hifumi:** Oh nothing. Me, Makoto, Akira and (I forget his name) are inviting Yusuke and you to attend the summer festival. And Yusuke doesn't have a choice, you spend wayy to much time indoors with your paintings as is.

 **Akira:** It's Goro. He's coming too.

 **Futaba:** Hmmm… So the choice is between going to a crowded festival with expensive foods and loud noise, or staying home and marathoning Featherman R… Difficult.

 **Akira:** Well, its going to a crowded festival with us. And besides, you've rewatched that show more times than I've made espressos. You know all the lines to the first episode by heart!

 **Futaba:** ….you make a compelling argument.

Yusuke had briefly left the chat to check his calendar and, just as Hifumi had predicted, he had no major assignments due the following week. He supposed the festival might provide a nice change of scenery for a while and (well really, he was looking forward to spending more time with Futaba, but he wasn't gonna admit that).

 **Yusuke:** Well, it seems like I'll be able to attend. You were right, Hifumi.

 **Hifumi:** Told you! Come on Futaba, you're the only one left!

 **Futaba:** Alright, I'm coming too. I haven't been to a festival in a long time! I wonder if they're just as awesome as I remember.

 **Hifumi:** Yay! Alright then, we were gonna meet up a while before the fireworks, have some time to walk around and eat and stuff. This is gonna be great!

With that, the members of the chat slowly dispersed, with promises of seeing each other at the festival. Yusuke logged out amidst a spam of memes from Futaba, who claimed she was going to stay up all night.

He was surprised to find himself still smiling later while brushing his hair before bed. He supposed he _did_ look forward to the festival, and he was happy for Hifumi too. She seemed to really like Niijima, just like Futaba had predicted.

He wondered briefly if Futaba would wear a kimono, as was common practice during festivals. Yusuke still had his old one, that he'd frequently worn to exhibitions with Sensei. It should still fit him, as he hadn't grown much in the last years.

For some reason, he really wanted to see Futaba in a kimono. Maybe she'd even model for him, if he bribed her with a new manga or something similar. The thought made Yusuke grin.

Shaking his head in amusement, he climbed into bed and switched off the lights. He fell asleep dreaming about fireworks, ranging in colours from viridian to magenta and marine blue.

While he slept, Yusuke's phone lit up with a new message.

(Message from **Isshiki, Futaba** to **Kitagawa, Yusuke)**

 _Hi Inari._

 _Yeah, I'm home and everything's great (you really didn't need to check, you know. What are you, from the 20th century? :P)_

 _Anyway, guess you saw right through me, huh? I've always been horrible at keeping secrets, so it really shouldn't be a surprise._

 _Yeah, I have some stuff in my past that isn't easy to talk about. And I do want to tell you about it. It's not that I don't trust you or anything, believe me, it's just… difficult. I've never really talked about this stuff with anyone before. I'm going to try to work up the courage okay? So please be patient!_

 _You're probably asleep now, right? You logged out a while ago, after all. I guess you'll read this in the morning, but still._

 _Good night, Inari!_

 _Dream sweet dreams about, painting or whatever…_

A/N

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait for this one, school has been kicking my ass lately... Also, I was really unmotivated to write for a while, but I swear I didn't mean to take so long! I hope at least some of you are still reading this... Anyway. I'm kinda split on what I think about this chapter to be honest, I think I like it, and I was trying to do something a bit different with the whole "chat" format, it's probably not going to be returning, but I guess I'd appreciate your thoughts on it. Also, this has not been read through by anyone but me at 11 in the night, so if you spot any issues, feel free to point them out.

I know I always say this, but I really appreciate critizism, particularly if you feel a character is OOC (because that's seriously the worst...)

Anyway, I want to thank everyone who has liked/reviewed/started reading while I was away. It means a lot that you enjoy my work, really. Without the support I get I would have given up a long time ago. And a HUGE thanks to everyone who follows the story, and continously reviews,

tldr: I love you guys so much, you're seriously amazing.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and actually get some sleep now.. See you guys later!


	14. Chapter 12

About an hour before the group had decided to meet up at the festival, Futaba pushed open the glass door to Cafe Leblanc. At the sound of the bell ringing, Akira set down the plate he had been cleaning and went over to the counter to greet her.

"Hey Futaba, you look nice" He commented, looking pointedly at her outfit.

Futaba had not come wearing a kimono, but she had made an effort to at least look a little nicer than usual. Most days she'd just wear a tank top and sweatpants or something similar, but a combination of her mother's nagging and wanting to prove to her friends that she did, in fact, own other clothes, had prompted her to dig through her closet for something a little more festive. (It certainly didn't have _anything_ to do with the fluttery feeling that she felt in her stomach at the thought of impressing Yusu- Nope. Not going there. Not at all.)

Oblivious to Futaba's inner struggles, Akira continued on.

"So, did you just come early for free coffe or?"

Futaba shuffled uncertainly, one of her hand rising to fiddle with the rim of her glasses. It would be _so_ easy to just shrug it off and claim that this meeting was entirely unprompted, but she couldn't. Not only would Akira certainly see right through her (he'd developed an annoying habit of reading her like an open book over the years) but she _had_ wanted to talk.

Her cheeks burned just at the thought, but nevertheless, if she didn't do it now she would never get around to it.

"Actually-" she started uncertainly, "I was kind of hoping to get some advice. About... some stuff." Akira raised an eyebrow, but he didn't turn her down or make fun of her. Instead he nodded, saying that they could talk after he'd closed the Café, which would be in fifteen minutes or so. In the meantime he made Futaba's favourite coffee, with plenty of milk and cardamom mixed in, and told her to make herself at home.

Fifteen minutes and one drained cup of coffee later, Akira showed her up the stairs to the attic which was as musky as always. Futaba waved her hand around, watching the dust swirl in the light from the windows, while Akira moved a pile of magazines from the surface of a dingy couch that stood by one of the walls. He sat down, and motioned for Futaba to do the same.

"Come and lie down on the couch, now tell me all your worries." He said, jokingly and Futaba punched him in the arm, taking a seat on a pile of boxes next to the couch just to spite him. She crossed her legs, looking up to see Akira gazing at her expectantly.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked, pushing his glasses up (Like an anime protagonist, Futaba would have joked in another context.)

As it was, she twirled one of her bangs around her fingers, looking for the right words. How did she even _talk_ about this?

She'd contacted Akira because he was one of the people who knew about her entire past, and one of the three people in the world she trusted completely. His mother was best friends with one of their most loyal customers and as such she'd frequented Leblanc often, bringing her son along on more than one occasion. Since Futaba often spent afternoons with Sojiro while her parents were working, they had met once and became fast friends. Akira would eventually start visiting the Cafe without his mother, and the pair had become almost like siblings, with Sojiro making sure they didn't get into _too_ much trouble. So yeah, of course she trusted Akira, and he'd been there for her after… Well.

Point was, she'd needed someone to help her find out what was wrong with her. Because there was something, that she was certain of. It certainly wasn't _normal_ to spend entire lessons spacing out because she was to busy thinking about how pretty her benchmate was, how soft his hair was and how adorable his smile was, nor was getting up an entire _hour_ earlier than usual because she wanted her clothes to have the correct "Mix of colours and hues" or whatever the hell Yusuke had meant when he'd complimented her appearance that one time.

Yeah. Definitely not normal.

She decided to just start talking, since deliberating wasn't yielding any clever formulations.

"A lot of really freaking weird stuff has been happening to me lately-" she started, and then the words just spilled out of her.

She told Akira about when she'd first met Yusuke, how she'd gotten the completely wrong impression about him, (He laughed when she told him about the incident at the comic store, but she'd shut him up because Featherman R was _serious business dammit_.)

Then she talked about how they'd become friends, that time they'd went to Jimbocho and how she'd gotten to know an entirely different side to him at Hifumi's Shoji competition. Akira listened closely, smiling at her in that odd, calculating manner that Futaba recognized very well as the expression he'd worn when he'd once put a spider in the backpack of a girl who'd made fun of Futaba on the playground when they were in elementary school .

His smile only widened as Futaba started talking about what was _truly_ the most challenging part, her emotions.

The strange tingly feeling to her stomach was difficult to explain and Futaba stumbled over her words while Akira gently encouraged her to continue. She talked about how she suddenly started thinking about them together in the strangest situations, (recounting a particularly annoying time when a memory had caused her to have to redo an entire chapter of a video game because she couldn't remember the name of a character's child.) The way she really just wanted to constantly be near him and talk to him.

She would spend lessons completely oblivious to the teachings since Yusuke had just finished a drawing he was proud of and was staring straight ahead with that aloof smile of his, the one that made it seem as though all the woes of existence had been cured.

She talked until her throat felt dry and the soles of her feel hurt from her having kicked them into the cardboard box she was sitting on. When she finished, she looked up at Akira who was giving her the most infuriating _big brother stare™_. He cleared his throat.

"Sooo in my very professional opinion-" He started, and Futaba gave him an exasperated stare.  
"This is serious Akira, I don't know what to do here! I can't focus on anything, it's infuriating!" She kicked the box hard enough to create indentations in the cardboard.

"Right, sorry Futaba." He said, fiddling with his glasses and leaning back on the couch.

"You do know what's happening though, don't you?" He asked, and Futaba glared at him.

"Obviously not! Then I wouldn't be talking to you, would I?"

Akira gave her a dubious look.

"Seriously? Futaba- you have a crush on this Kitagawa-guy. I mean that was obvious even before you gave me this...exposition dump about your relationship." he said, and Futaba wanted to smack him for stealing her _thing_ with using video game terminology, but she was too busy internally freaking out.

"There's no way- no way I have a crush on _Yusuke_. I mean- it's not like I want to date him or anything I just-"

Futaba's cheeks coloured as she spoke, her mind pulling up scenarios of her and Yusuke going on dates, that time they'd held hands, them hugging and-.

Holy shit. Maybe she did have a crush.

"O-okay. Say you're right. _Hypothetically._ "

Akira raised an eyebrow, amused.  
"What the hell do I do then? I can't exactly ask him out, now can I?" Futaba argued. Hell- if _she'd_ completely misread the signs she didn't dare imagine what conclusions Yusuke might be drawing about her strange behaviour. Knowing him he'd delude himself into thinking she was some kind of hacker art thief or something. Completely out of touch with reality- as usual.

"Why not?" Akira retaliated. "That is usually how people deal with crushes you know."

Futaba drummed her fingers on the box. "Yeah but he's... _Yusuke._ "

she said, as if that explained everything. Going by Akira's blank look, it did not.

"No look he's like...He's weird. I dunno if he even _feels_ the romance stuff. I mean, to another human being. The one thing he loves above all is painting, so-"

Akira looked at her as if she was kidding.

"Well if that's the case why don't you just ask? You're friends, right? I mean, it's a wonder it hasn't come up in conversation yet, if you ask me. Just...pretend it's platonic concern, wondering if he likes girls or boys or neither."

Futaba was unconvinced. As much as she _did_ want answers to that question, she didn't want to do anything that might put any kind of strain on her relationship with Yusuke (That being their completely _platonic_ relationship, just like Futaba preferred. Of course.)

Her social skills were practically non existent, so she doubted she could sneak it into a casual conversation, but then again Yusuke's social skills were even worse than her own. Still, something didn't quite sit right with her.  
There was still the chance that this might impact her relationship with Yusuke for the worse, and she didn't want to risk losing one of her best (only) friends because of something so stupid as a _crush_. The whole thing was very frustrating.

"I dunno dude. What if he takes it the wrong way? What if he's really not interested in me at all, I mean- what if this ruins our friendship? Things'll be super awkward between us."

Akira shrugged. "Look. If you just want to ignore it I suppose I can't stop you, but look where waiting has gotten you so far. You wanted a way to stop feeling distracted and to stop wondering, so this seems like the most obvious solution."

He...had a point, Futaba had to admit.

The reason she was here at all was because she wanted to know how to stop feeling distracted, and she'd played enough dating sims (Though it pained her to admit) to know that the character who resigned themselves to hiding their romantic feelings usually got left behind. They couldn't even get enough popularity to be classed 3rd Best Boy/Girl.

"Well...I suppose-" Before she could finish the sentence, Futaba's phone chimed in her pocket and the Featherman R theme song played throughout the attic. She opened it to find a message from Hifumi to their joint chat, specifying a time and place for their meeting. Akira, who'd also read the message on his phone, got up from the couch and brushed off his pants.

"I guess that's all the time we have for this therapy session. Tune in next week for the exciting follow up," he joked, and Futaba's face fell.  
"No, come on, I still don't know what to do!" She crossed her arms, glaring down at her phone.

"I think you do." Akira argued calmly

. "Look, this stuff is never easy, but I think things will work out for you Futaba. I mean, I was just as nervous about asking Goro out as you are right now, and look where we are now."

Futaba raised her eyebrows. "You panicked while pouring his coffee, and practically screamed an invitation to him as he was leaving to get his shirt thrown in the wash."

"In front of the entire café, yes. I got comments about that from customers for days." Akira laughed. "My point is, sometimes these things just work out, you know? Have a little faith, and trust yourself to do it right."

Futaba still wasn't sure. She didn't _feel_ like she'd gotten any closer to solving her problems, but maybe it was as simple as Akira put it. Just ask, and go from there. Honestly, Futaba wanted to curl into a little ball and ignore the world and her feelings until they went away, but she knew better. Besides, they were supposed to meet up with Hifumi, Nijima, Akechi and...Yusuke, in less than five minutes.  
"Well, at least it can't go much worse than your confession." She said, distracting herself with witty commentary as she was prone to. It worked...kind of.

Akira couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah, yeah, I already get enough of that from Goro. Come on now, we don't want to be late for your date."

The pair arrived at the train station where they'd decided to meet in a timely fashion, only a couple minutes late. Hifumi and Nijima were already there, as was Akechi. Akira left Futaba's side almost immediately to greet his boyfriend, and Futaba made a mental note to tease him to hell and back about that when they got back, as revenge for his comments about her and Yusuke.

She approached Hifumi and Nijima a bit self consciously, seeing as both girls were dressed up in beautiful Kimonos, and seemingly engaged in a heated debate about Shogi. Futaba stood by them awkwardly for a few moments, before Hifumi noticed she'd arrived and broke off the debate to greet her.

"Wow, you look great Futaba!" She commented, wholly hypocritically seeing as she herself looked absolutely stunning in a flower-patterned red Kimono, matching the ribbon in her hair.

Nijima looked just as good albeit a bit more somber in a blue, mono-coloured kimono. She kept a bit to the side as Futaba and Hifumi talked but was pulled into the conversation again eventually as the topic inevitably changed back to Shogi, leaving Futaba to hover awkwardly beside them.

She was rescued a few minutes later by the arrival of Yusuke, about 15 minutes late. Futaba turned to greet/yell at him for being late, but was stunned into silence as she saw him.

Yusuke was wearing a yukata, and he looked absolutely stunning.

It was similar to Nijima's in that it was a deep blue, but combined with his pale skin and vivid hair it looked a thousand times better. Yusuke had rambled about some kind of effect that light and dark colours had on each other once, making the bright shine and the dark gloomy and Futaba had never seen a more perfect example. The contrast made his skin appear fair and his blue eyes practically glow, while the blues of the yukata and his hair matched stunningly. Futaba had to admit, albeit begrudgingly, Yusuke had one _hell_ of a sense for colours.

The entire group had greeted the final member by the time Futaba snapped out of her train of thought, and Yusuke had forgone pleasantries in favour of delving deep into an analysis of the colour symbiosis on Hifumi's kimono. He hadn't even acknowledged Futaba, and as much as she tried not to seem bothered it stung a bit.

"Hey Inari! Where were you? We were supposed to meet fifteen minutes ago, you know." She said as greeting, taking it upon herself to bring the matter of the festival up before Yusuke was too far gone.

He looked up, as if only then realizing she was there. His gaze scanned Futaba once, then twice, before he settled on her face and smiled pleasantly. "I got off the subway one station earlier to save money." He explained airily. "I hadn't realized it got so late."

He looked pensive, as if he wanted to elaborate or make another comment, but refrained with a shrug.

Futaba gave him a weird look. Well- she supposed- it wasn't the strangest thing Yusuke had done. Besides, she knew he didn't really have an income, so she guessed it made sense. She wondered with a smile if part of the reason why Yusuke was late had been making sure that his outfit was meticulously colour coded. It certainly sounded like him, in any case.

Now that the group was gathered, they all headed toward the festival together. As the established couples naturally gravitated toward each other, Futaba found herself walking alongside Yusuke. She didn't mind it one bit, though she was a bit miffed at Akira for completely abandoning her with only a wink and a subtle "good luck".

The festival street was like something out of an anime, colourful and sparkling and warmly lit by lanterns and streetlights. Futaba was momentarily taken aback and had to remind herself that she wasn't looking at a painting or digital landscape, but a real life place. The colours and shades made the entire world look much more beautiful than was conceivable and Futaba almost didn't want to walk closer and ruin the pretty sight, (She realized amidst musing that she sounded like Yusuke. Wow, this crush thing was hitting her _hard_ apparently.)

Yusuke was similarly entranced, of course, and both of them ended up stopping to take in the sights as the other members of their party entered ahead of them. With a wave and promise to meet up later from Hifumi and a wink and blown kiss from Akira, Futaba was left standing awkwardly on the pavement as Yusuke did that weird hand-frame-thing at the view.

Five minutes passed. Yusuke might as well have been a statue, if not for an occasional hum or click of the tongue escaping him.

"Hey dude. You've been staring for a while now. What are you even doing?"

Futaba squinted at the sight, but while it was very pretty she didn't see the point of staring for _over five minutes_.

"Framing." Yusuke answered distractedly. "Oh- if only I had brought my sketchbook or some oils. This would have been a marvellous painting, no doubt."

"Yeeah. Sure," Futaba agreed.

She fished up her phone from her pocket, reaching up to snap a couple of shots from the same angle that Yusuke was...framing? with his hands.

"Here. You can stare yourself blind at these later," she said, waving the phone in front of him.

Yusuke reacted as if she'd woken him from a trance. "Oh of course! Thank you, Futaba."

He gave her a sheepish look.

"Ah, I seem to have lost myself a bit. Were you waiting for me?"

Futaba rolled her eyes. "Nah- it's fine. You didn't even ramble this time."

Yusuke seemed downtrodden, so she shrugged and pushed up her glasses with one finger. "Anyway, now that you're back in this reality, shall we get going?"

She held out her hand expectantly before even considering the gesture, remembering with fondness how Yusuke had helped her with the crowded Shogi competition.

As pretty as the festival was, Futaba wasn't liking the crowds one bit.

Yusuke only gave her hand a cursory glance before taking it loosely while he used his free one to snap pictures of the view.

"Watercolour would make the purple shine marvellously, though oils might be more prudent considering the shadows," he hummed in thought, and Futaba took that as her cue to start leading him forward, lest they miss the entire festival because Yusuke would rather discuss colors.

"Yeah, yeah it's pretty but they've got festival foods and fireworks. Come _on-"_ She pulled on his arm and her voice was annoyed, yet Futaba didn't feel peeved in the slightest.

Actually, she was completely fine with letting Yusuke wander and talk about whatever complicated painting-topic (that she knew nothing about) that he wanted.

So she did.

Well, they did a bit more than wander, truth be told. Futaba dragged Yusuke to go get Yakisoba, try goldfish scooping (to absolutely disastrous ends. Even the owner of the stand couldn't keep from laughing when Futaba almost managed to loose her balance and tumble right in the water with the fish) and at least three different shooting games before they both admitted to being pretty tired and resolved to get off the main roads.

After a few moments of looking, Yusuke found a relatively quiet spot in a completely deserted playground about two blocks from the festivities where they decided to set up camp.

Clutching a cup of shaved ice, even though the summer night was probably too cold for it, Futaba had perched herself on top of the lowest of monkey bars with her feet dangling freely in the air while Yusuke stood beside her with his own cup.

"Wow. Talk about weird. It's like...I dunno, are we really still in Shibuya? It feels different, somehow."  
Futaba spoke out loud before she herself realized, breaking the comfortable silence and making Yusuke turn to her.

"It certainly has an air of...calm. Serenity, I suppose, or something equivalent. I believe the change is caused by the unusually bright and lovely evening, combined with residual adrenaline from playing all of those shooting games."

Futaba had to squint, but she could have sworn Yusuke was smirking at her through the dark.

"Well, that and all of the sugar I've had," she added with a laugh.

"The world becomes a magical place once you've stayed awake long enough and ingested enough glucose to overdose a minor anthill."

Yusuke nodded dutifully. "I suppose that might play a part in it, yes."

Silence descended on them again, and Futaba suddenly felt light as a feather, perched on top of the monkey bars with her legs kicking back and forth. She felt an irrational desire to prolong their conversation into infinity, building a large wall around the playground to keep the rest of the world out as she and Yusuke kept on being happy together forever.

Futaba had once read a lovesick protagonist, (Either from a book or fanfiction, she honestly couldn't remember), describe an irrational desire to "create their own bubble universe" so they could stay happy there forever.

She'd thought it was a pretentious and honestly pretty crappy metaphor, but now she couldn't help thinking maybe that author had been onto something.

She wondered just how many romantic clichés were more accurate to life than she'd first realized, and decided that she kind of wanted to find out.

"Hey-" she said quietly, only to realize that Yusuke had moved to stand in front of her, his face just about level with her lower stomach, and was looking up at her with an unreadable expression.

Futaba's cheeks flushed as she realized Yusuke wasn't just looking at her, the way someone might glance at someone to gauge their expression or mood, or point out that they had a stain on their shirt.

He was _looking_ at her, like he was simply enjoying the sight.

Futaba was terrified and mortified and delighted all at once.

"Hey- um- what's up?" She asked, swallowing thickly and grabbing onto the metal rod she was perched on with her free hand. God- she could almost taste the embarrassment she'd be exposed to if she fell down now.

Yusuke stared at her for a moment longer before seemingly coming to his senses. It was a visible change, like a wave of emotions passed over his face and it wasn't until this moment that Futaba realized she'd been _looking_ too.

Yusuke's face and hair and entire being were fantastic, gorgeous and _way way too close for comfort holy shit_.

"I- My apologies. I lost myself. I must say- that with the dim lights and soft colors you looked breathtaking Futaba. I was awestruck."

Holy shit how could he say stuff like that without feeling embarrassed?

Futaba seriously felt as if she might fall straight down and faceplant in the sand.

"I uh- thanks," she mumbled lamely, daring to glance down and meet Yusuke's brilliant, entrancing eyes (Yep. She's actually thought that. Wow. Futaba was _beyond_ saving).

"You're not so bad yourself," she mumbled and Yusuke's face lit up with delight and adorable confusion at the compliment.

"I- thank you. I had hoped so, but I fear my own judgement is insufficient to judge."

He said it as if, by some miracle, Futaba's _wasn't_.

The tension in the air was so thick you might as well have been able to cut it, and Futaba found herself completely losing all sense of time or direction. After making eye-contact, she was no longer able to break it and Yusuke seemed to have found himself in a similar predicament, causing them both to be stuck in some kind of bizzare time loop where both of them wanted to act but neither could.

Slowly, agonizingly, Futaba felt her own chest rise and fall beneath her jacket. Every second stretched for hours, the dark playground bathed in purple and pink as the sun set but Futaba didn't notice. She stared, transfixed, until something broke the moment.

Yusuke placed a hand on the monkey-bars.

That, in of itself wasn't that extraordinary, except it wasn't just that he'd placed it where Futaba was sitting. He'd placed it _on_ Futaba's hand, which was still desperately clutching the metal as to steady her.

For a minute, the entire world stopped, and then they both, breathlessly and dazedly, broke the eye-contact to glance at the spot on the metal rod.

Yusuke's bigger, pearly white hand with Futaba's smaller one beneath, splayed out on the dark red metal. Yusuke seemed to inhale sharply, his hand jolting as if he was regretting the decision to move it, but before he had the chance to rescind Futaba let go of her steadying grip and turned her palm to his.

She gently grabbed his own hand in hers, wondering with bewilderment what on _earth_ she was doing. She's told herself, she'd promised herself to not to anything that would jeopardize their friendship, crush be damned. She hadn't even taken Akira's advice in checking whether Yusuke even _could_ be interested in her.

Still, considering that the options were to either let go or keep holding Yusuke's hand in a tight death-grip, Futaba decided that right then, right there, she wasn't letting go for anything.

When she looked back up, Yusuke's eyes met her own again and this time he was even closer. Close enough that he must be standing on his toes, Futaba reflected and then she didn't have the time to think anymore because she was also moving toward Yusuke and soon enough, far too soon, they would be close enough that they would be-

BANG!

A harsh sound reverberated throughout the playground and Futaba startled so badly she dropped her cup of shaved ice. She yelped, grabbing onto Yusuke's hand with a death grip as her free hand desperately scrambled for purchase.

She kicked wildly in the air, and Yusuke let out a soft grunt so she deduced she'd probably hit him, but despite Futaba's best efforts she toppled backwards on the monkey bars until she was hanging upside down with her knees swung around the metal rod.

Man was she glad she'd chosen to wear pants instead of a skirt.

"Fuck!" She swore, spitting as some of her hair got in her mouth.

"Oh- oh my goodness, Futaba, are you okay?" Yusuke rambled, looking incredibly distraught (Though, since Futaba was currently looking at him upside down, he was quite blurry).

"Fine- I'm fine. Just let go so I can get down," she yelped, taking a moment to adjust her grip on the monkey bar.

Yusuke seemed to get the hint since he immediately released Futaba's hand and stepped back, letting her swing the full way round and land on her feet again.

"H-holy shit-" Futaba swore, breathless and pretty disoriented from the whole ordeal.

"Y-yes. Quite-" Yusuke agreed, wrapping his arms around himself and apparently that was the final push Futaba needed because suddenly that was the most hilarious thing she'd ever experienced.

She began to giggle, leaning her head against the very metal rod she'd been sitting on seconds prior. "H-holy sh-shit-"

Yusuke, evidently infected by her amusement, began to smile widely, covering his mouth with one hand to stifle his own laughter.

"You sh-should have seen your face!" Futaba laughed madly, wrapping her arms around herself as her stomach began to hurt from the force of it.

"Holy shit- that was _priceless_."

Her legs giving out, she slumped down onto the sanded ground, rubbing at her eyes with her palms as her body convulsed with laughter.

"I couldn't help it! I was surprised!" Yusuke argued indignantly, which only made Futaba laugh harder.

The startled, borderline terrified expression on Yusuke's face would be something she never _ever_ forgot, she knew that much.

As they laughed, another bang reverberated throughout the air, and when Futaba looked up she saw a shower of brilliant colours above.

Shit. How could she have been _that_ stupid. She'd _known_ there would be fireworks, for crying out loud.

"Uhm. If I may be so blunt," Yusuke begun once her giggles had calmed down somewhat. "What… what exactly happened just now?"

Futaba contemplated stalling for time by asking what part he meant, but she was pretty sure she knew.

The part where Yusuke took her hand and they were about to kiss before being interrupted by fireworks, of course.

"I don't know." She said instead, getting up off the ground and turning to face Yusuke. "I...I didn't dislike it though." She didn't voice it, but the implied question was obvious. "Did you?"

Yusuke shook his head slowly. "No. No it was certainly...inspiring."

He took a step forward as more fireworks sounded in the distance and Futaba realized the mood was rapidly changing back to something like before they'd been interrupted.

Was she _actually_ going to have her first kiss while someone shot fireworks?

God, Futaba thought, When had her life become a dating sim?

"So you wouldn't mind- uh-" She held out her hand again, a deliberate invitation this time, as opposed to the instinctual one that she'd offered before.

Yusuke didn't answer, didn't look like he could, but he took her hand and Futaba found that was answer enough.

They moved closer.

Closer.

Closer still. Holy shit, Futaba was practically standing on Yusuke's shoes at this point.

When Futaba lifted her gaze, she came face to face (Or rather- face to neck) with Yusuke, and her cheeks burned. The only thing stopping her from running away in embarrassment was that Yusuke looked just as, if not more, embarrassed than she and that was quite the achievemet since Futaba honestly hadn't been sure that Yusuke could even _feel_ embarrassment before that point.

Slowly, as if she were compelled by some kind of force, Futaba's free arm moved on it's own accord to settle around Yusuke's back, taking ahold of the fabric of his dark Yukata. She swallowed thickly, glancing up and seeing a shower of reds, green and yellow in the sky above make an excellent backdrop for Yusuke's stunned, absolutely gorgeous expression.

Futaba closed her eyes, knowing what would come next.

Honestly, either of them really knew who'd closed the final distance. Both had been so wrapped up in eachother, in the wonder and embarrassment and _feelings_ that this kind of closeness enduced that Futaba would later explain it as "it just happened." Her eyes closed, she breathed in and suddenly her lips were on Yusuke's.

One thing was for certain, though. She might not remmeber exactly how it happened, but Futaba would never forget the magical, electric feeling of that kiss.

Yusuke's arm wandered up to wrap around her midsection and suddenly they were pressed close, lips locked in a shy, awkward kiss as neither _really_ knew what they were doing. It was strained, with Futaba having to stand on her toes to even reach in the first place, and unsteady since both of them were shaking with adrenaline and excitement.

But even so, the short version was that it was the greatest moment of Futaba's life. Hands down.

The previous contenders, the day she'd recieved the premium edition of the first 5 volumes of Featherman R for her birthday and the mother-daughter day Futaba had spent with Wakaba last summer vacation weren't even close to comparing to the wonderful, intoxicating feeling of getting her pining (Which, Futaba was woman enough to admit, had been exactly what she'd been doing up until now) rewarded in such a clear way.

Futaba could have stood there forever. She probably would have, except before she felt she was even _remotely_ close to finished, she heard someone yelling.

"Futaba, Yusuke! Guys! They're over here!"

Futaba opened her mouth to tell Yusuke to ignore it, to keep the kissing going and let whoever wanted their attention wait a bit because she wasn't _finished_ dammit, but Yusuke had already broken off, letting his hand fall back to his side.

She reluctantly followed suit, though she kept holding Yusuke's hand tightly, aiming to shoo off whoever was bothering and get right back.

A dark figure was running at them from the street, and when Futaba looked closer she recognized it as Akechi, of all people.

"What? Did something happen?" Futaba shouted at him as he came closer, because Goro Akechi was panting and rushing and looked like death itself was chasing him.

Futaba had never, ever, seen him show any emotion _let alone fear_ to this extent before.

Akechi slowed down as he approached, bracing his arms on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Futaba I- you- I got a call from the station-" he began, gasping for air. Futaba could see more shapes approaching behind him, must be the others she supposed.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly, swallowing down the worry. What on _earth_ would Akechi want with her, and why did he look so distraught?

"Futaba- I'm sorry," Akechi said, straightening himself and burrowing his shaking hands in the pockets of his coats. It wasn't that cold- in fact it was barely chilly.

"I- It's your mother."

A/N

So...Yeah this story almost went an entire year without updates. Words cannot convey how sorry I am, truly. There have been a whole bunch of things that have led to me losing the will to write this. School has been a nightmare and personal drama has arguably been worse but through a lot of ups and down this chapter was finally made.

Right now it's almost midnight for me and I haven't proofread shit, so I'm probably going to edit this tomorrow after I get some much needed sleep. I just felt like I'd waited far too long to post anything, and waiting even another day would be too much.

Also, while I'm rambling, I'm thinking of moving this story over to Archiveofourown. This won't mean that the story won't continue to update here, but it'll be avalible over there too if you prefer to use the site (like me). I already have two stories from a different fandom posted on AO3, RPs which I've written with a friend, and I'd like to have all my stories in the same place so...

I hope, despite everything, that the few of you who're still reading this enjoy the chapter. I'd like to thank every single person who has followed or reviewed the story. Seriously. Even after all this time, the thought that people are still discovering and enjoying my story absolutely blows my mind.

Thank you so much for reading!


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